Shetland power ahead
Why are Shetland going all guns for renewable energy, when it is even further from the markets than Lewis.
(1) Shetland is using it's oil dividend to reinvest community funds
(2) AIUI, the land is not under crofting tenure, so there are fewer directly affected parties
(3) As far as I can find out, there are few objections to the size and scale of the proposals, even by those in the vicinity of the proposal
(4) They can see the money that can be made, and have the funds to pay for this by themselves.
Instead, in the Western Isles, we complain incessantly and many object to developers making money out of these schemes demanding it be "community owned". Of course, the "community" don't have the money to undertake such a scheme, but let's not let this get in the way of a winge.
I predict that Shetland will have an enormous gain from wind; will get the inter-connector; and that we may end up with almost nothing.
That will result in the offshore wave developments going to Shetland too. Is that what everyone wants???? This is a race, and some of our team seem determined to cut our own tendons.
2 comments:
Angus; is there any reason why we couldn't both get an interconnector (other than if opposition to every development proposed continues here is Eilean Siar)? I mean, is there any legislation from Ofgem for example that would limit the Scottish Isles to only one interconnector, once they reach a certain megawatt rating?
The process is that each application joins the queue. If you cannot complete by the appropriate time you move to the end of the queue. It is likely that supply and cost issues will determine who actually gets the inter-connector first. Theoretically every island could be connected, eventually, but this is improbable. Ofgem's rules are set in stone to try to keep the playing field "level" (sic).
I'm going to write more about this next week.
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