Power struggles

At present, Scottish electricity generators face much higher transmission charges than their counterparts south of the Border. This is because the National Grid operates a regime – called "locational charging" – aimed at encouraging generators to locate closer to the UK's major electricity consumption in the South of England.

By The Newsroom

Published 27th Jan 2010, 18:55 BST

Updated 27th Jan 2010, 18:59 BST

By some hocus-pocus, this means that, while connection to the grid in the North Highlands costs 26 per unit, connection to the same grid in Cornwall receives a bounty of 6 per unit.

This being the case, one wonders why the electricity-generating companies are so keen to promote the upgrade of the National Grid, from Beauly to Denny, in order to send power down to the south of England. Is this fair, or sensible, and why do we, in Scotland, put up with it?

NORMAN SMITH

Aberdour Road

Burntisland, Fife