CLAIRE Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, makes misleading claims about the use of renewable electricity generation (Letters, December 3).
She claims that reliable and secure electricity generation from ageing fossil-fuelled generators can easily be directly replaced by “cheap” renewables, mostly wind and solar. Both are weather dependent and hence unreliable and unsecure. Why do they still require subsidies if they are cheap? There are “hidden” costs in additional infrastructure and backup on standby. Any cost benefit is not reflected in my electricity bills, which have increased significantly in line with the deployment of renewables.The Institute of Engineers in Scotland has expressed serious concerns about the increasing reliance on intermittent and volatile renewables generation on grid stability.
GM Lindsay,
Whinfield Gardens, Kinross.
CLAIRE Mack did not point out that the pursuit of renewable energy will result in decades of austerity for Scottish energy consumers.
The phase out of 150 TWhours of gas will add £18 billion a year to consumer bills, there will be a capital debt of around £120bn to be paid to install the requisite number of wind turbines and a £7 bn a year Constraint Payment bill as the overland and sub-sea interconnectors are inadequate to transfer the excess generation. Can Claire Mack explain whether public services can afford an annual £6bn hit to their budgets or how the 35 per cent of Scots in fuel poverty can meet an additional £32,500 a year demand on their household bills ?
However, as 129 MSPs have failed to provide an answer it can be assumed there will be complete silence from Scottish Renewables.
Ian Moir,
79 Queen Street,
Castle Douglas.
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