Letter: Renewables' backers on the back foot

The letter from Colin Gibson and Sir Donald Miller, who have both held senior positions in the energy worldand the highly respected academics, is clear in its warning that for the good of all consumers and all industries in Scotland a reliable supply of electricity must be provided. The letter is equally clear that renewables cannot provide this reliability and the Scottish Government's unbalanced energy policy risks disaster for our economy.

In contrast the letter signed by the senior management of renewable energy, steel and fabrication companies says nothing about the reliability of renewables as an energy source. Instead, as chairmen and chief executives of companies likely to benefit from investment in wind and wave power, their letter is understandably focused on promoting the renewable sector.

In their enthusiasm for their sector they unwittingly accept in their letter that renewable energy is unreliable and expensive as they imply that for Scotland to be 100 per cent self-sufficient in renewables, our electricity generating capacity will have to be double what we consume.

What they fail to say is that such a scenario would bring vast profits to the renewable sector at enormous cost in the form of higher energy prices not only to the people of Scotlandbut alsoto the commercial and industrial base of Scotland.

Alan J Black

Camus Avenue

Edinburgh

THE Scotsman is to be congratulated for publishing thebest letter I have ever read against reliance on renewable energy by men who have the experience and qualifications to comment. (Letters, 27 April).

Words like "power failures", "intermittent", "unproven technology", "reliable supplies" and we are "at the 11th hour" jumped out of the page and should be a wake-up call to our politicians, who should stop toeing the party line and speak out before the lights go out.

The following pro-renewables letter was a masterpiece of misinformation and a plea for "the capital investment needed to realise the vision".

Mr Salmond visiting the Nigg shipyard even pointed to this letter, signed by seven renewables firms, as proof that his renewables target was not too ambitious.

Mr Salmond, these firms are making exceptional profits from renewables and these gentlemen are getting huge salaries and perks paid for by the public on their energy bills.

All that surprised me was that it was not also signed by Scottish Renewables, WWF and Friends of the Earth.

Clark Cross

Springfield Road

Linlithgow

IN RESPONSE to criticism by some businesses of his policy of achieving 100 per cent of Scotland's electricity demand from renewable sources by 2020, Alex Salmond cited an open letter (Letters, 27 April) from seven companies in support of this objective.

They included Scottish Power Renewables, Burntisland Fabrications, Aquamarine Power and Pelamis Wave Power.

These companies have a vested interest. Hardly a ringing endorsement of Mr Salmond's wishful thinking and subsidy-driven policy.

GM Lindsay

Whinfield Gardens

Kinross

THE Scotsman does Scotland a service by publishing the letters of the engineers and scientists and businessmen regarding electrical power provision for the future (Letters, 27 April).

The contrast could not be more stark. A group of technical experts basing their arguments on science, logic and reason and a group out to maximise profit for their various organisations. All the business group needed was a gullible, ego-driven politician with delusions of grandeur to complete their ''case'' and along came Alex Salmond.

I know which group I would believe.

Alexander McKay

New Cut Rigg

Edinburgh

I'VE got the message. Alexander McKay does not want me to vote for the SNP (Letters, 27 April). Which party does he favour?

I hope not the party that, in the Scottish Parliament, obstructs and denigrates, and, in Westminster does such damage to the reputation of Parliament, the economy and the peace of the world. It would be better not vote at all than vote for that.

John Kelly

Park Avenue

Edinburgh