WINDPOWER is increasingly whipping up controversy as well as generating energy in Scotland. As we report today, planning applications for new onshore wind farms have risen by 100% in the past year.
If all the developments now in the pipeline go ahead, the number of turbines in the landscape would triple. It is a graphic illustration of the rush to secure the most suitable sites as planning consent becomes more difficult as a result of growing pressure on the landscape and more organised opposition by communities and conservation bodies.
With the least contentious sites in the most accessible areas already snapped up, future applications will become ever more controversial. This is already apparent as global power companies recognise the growing importance of renewable energy and become involved in developments in Scotland, such as the Glenmorie wind farm backed by AES Corporation. The opposition of community groups is understandable but more should consider the advantages of engaging with developers in return for an energy supply or share of the profits.
All forms of energy generation carry some form of cost. An increasing problem is the accumulation of developments within sight of one another, particularly in scenic areas, especially our two national parks, where access to wilderness and the rich natural habitat are vital components of the tourism which underpins the local economy. There is also a carbon equation to be balanced. A number of applications are for peat moors, which are globally important as storage for CO2.
Wind power already has the potential to generate around 30% of Scotland’s electricity consumption but there is not a simple equation between the number of turbines and the amount of power they generate. Because turbines only operate when the wind blows and have to be switched off during gales, back-up from another power source is required to maintain base load. If we are to stop burning fossil fuels, as serious CO2 reduction requires, nuclear generation will be essential for the foreseeable future.
A significant step forward has been taken, however, with the installation of an underwater turbine at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney for testing before transferring to the pioneering tidal stream energy development in the Sound of Islay. It is particularly welcome because successful harnessing of predictable tidal power would add stability to the amount of energy generated from renewable sources and will keep Scotland at the forefront of developing marine energy.
The powerful surges around the Scottish coast and islands offer huge potential for generating power but equally important will be the ability to develop the technology. The opportunity for Scottish universities and businesses to be at the cutting edge of renewable energy must be grasped now or forever regretted. That will require considerable investment but the long tradition of innovative technology and engineering skills provides a solid base on which to build.
It was a bold claim by Alex Salmond to say he could envisage Scotland as the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy and one his political opponents will use as a taunt if he fails in the more precise ambition of generating the equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s electricity needs from renewables by 2020. Nevertheless, the memorable phrase has focused attention on Scotland’s natural resources of wind, wave and tide. Their potential can only be realised, however, by developing technology and infrastructure to harnesses the power of nature and transmit it to the national grid at a viable cost. There is a political will at Holyrood but it can only be realised with a coherent and concerted strategy from planning authorities, through education and skills development to small businesses and global corporations.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article