“Lochaber No More” sang The Proclaimers in their hit “Letter from America” but its “Onshore, No More” that Highlanders are now demanding.
Wind farm developments are all across Scotland, but the north is perhaps most affected.
With more planned NESO, the National Electricity Supply Operator suggests that Scotland will produce 70% of Britains onshore wind by 2030.
But enough is enough, and Onshore Wind Farms are no longer benefitting anyone other than some corporate fat cats and the odd farmer and landowner.
Renewable Energy’s a great new bounty for Scotland which we have to benefit from not lament what might have been with oil and gas.
Onshore and offshore wind are added to by hydro, solar, tidal and wave.
But it has to be the right technology, in appropriate areas and seeing benefits for citizens, communities and the country.
Scotland and the Highlands already producing more than 100% of their required energy production through renewables.
The scale of what the Highland’s has faced with onshore wind farm development’s grim but what’s proposed’ s even worse.
In the last five years around 400 applications have been made for onshore wind farm developments from Kingussie to Wick.
Yet even more are being submitted with Highland Councils’ website showing 1300 renewable energy applications many of which will be wind farm developments.
It’s time to call a halt.
Onshore wind development’s no longer required other than individual applications by farmers or communities for single turbine or small scale.
It’s not just that we’ve hit capacity in our hills and glens, but we’ve reached it with the National Grid. Highlanders will often feel the wind blowing but see the turbines standing static.
That triggers constraint payments to developers which perversely are a higher rate than for producing energy.
Last year they totalled £1.7 billion with £1.2 billion from Scotland alone.
Upgrades to the grid are dwarfed by proposed developments, which mean the situation and cost is only going to worsen.
Offshore wind has also changed the dynamic.
Highlanders can see them off the coasts, in the Moray Firth and one development alone, Berwick Bank, planned for the mouth of the River Forth will provide enough energy for 6 million homes, far more than in Scotland, let alone the Highlands.
So, we don’t need more onshore wind farms and money would be better spent elsewhere.
Where’s the revenue, jobs, businesses locating here and most of all cheap energy for our people, especially in the Highlands, which are amongst the coldest parts of the UK.
Folk can now see turbines turning on the hills in behind them or off the shores in front of them yet cannot afford to turn on their heating.
The scenic environment’s being trashed with no concern for the views of locals who’ve lived in the area for generations.
Land prices are being pushed up restricting entry in framing or forestry for locals, or even for housebuilding.
So called “community benefit” paid to local groups and community groups and community councils is sweetie money and a paltry sum in comparison to the Directors Emoluments taken, let alone profits extracted.
Now Offshore offers far better opportunities and what we already have in onshore we must properly benefit from.
Its why it should be “Onshore No More”.
