Letter: Energy plans

I was encouraged to learn from Duncan McLaren (Letters, 23 December) that Friends of the Earth, WWF Scotland and RSPB Scotland all "support the demonstration of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in Scotland".

As organisations concerned with the environment, they must then surely consider each such proposal on its merits and determine which offer long-term environmental benefits and can support the fight against global warming. Unfortunately, there has been little sign of such rational behaviour from these organisations.

It is no part of our role to play off the Ayrshire Power proposal against others in Scotland as we strongly support the Scottish Government's CCS Roadmap policy and the chance for Scotland to take the lead in developing and implementing CCS solutions.

However, surely any responsible environmental organisation would wish to consider the benefits of a new, state-of-the-art power station with CCS alongside the benefits of retro-fitting existing power stations which Mr McLaren advocates.

I am pleased the Scottish Government's statutory consultees need to read and understand the thorough, detailed analysis contained within the Ayrshire Power planning application and to assess the conclusions on their merit.

The version of "support" for CCS favoured by Mr McLaren coincides with the interests of the two very large companies which dominate the Scottish electricity market. Last week the government launched its draft proposals on the Energy Market Reforms, a key objective of which is to encourage new low carbon generators into the existing electricity market.

Some of their members might find this a rather uncomfortable place for Friends of the Earth, WWF Scotland and RSPB Scotland to position themselves in.

Muir Miller

PeelEnergy Limited

Peel Dome, The Trafford Centre

Manchester

Your correspondents railing against the turbine takeover of our land are spitting into the wind: the SNP government will not listen. In this it is encouraged and abetted by a new political phenomenon - non-opposition.

Normal practice is routinely automatic but, faced with a weak minority administration, Labour, Tories and Lib Dems make no outcry - unheard of parliamentary unanimity.

Are we to believe they all rejoice at the monstrous 140-turbine Eaglesham "superfarm" reportedly capable of powering 180,000 homes? Unqualified, this implies that it will actually do so, and permanently.

Given the wide range of wind strengths, it is almost inevitable that the suggested performance will never be achieved.

The only effective argument available to us is the certainty of economic decline as we are out-performed and impoverished by powerful overseas competitors who have made it abundantly clear that they have no intention of matching our stupidity.

Robert Dow

Ormiston Road

Tranent