News / Islands disadvantaged
TRANSMISSION charges by Ofgem will disadvantage the renewables future of Scotland’s island communities, according to Orkney Islands Council.
In a detailed submission to Ofgem‘s TransmiT consultation, the OIC argues against the energy regulator’s preferred option for setting charges based on a variation of the present distance-related charging regime.
This would leave Orkney, Shetland and the western isles renewables projects with transmission charges six times higher than the adjacent mainland zone of North of Scotland, which itself is higher than all other UK zones.
OIC councillor Ian Johnstone said: “The level of transmission charges could be critical to investment decisions on renewable projects.
“Orkney has some of the best renewable resources in Europe, and is at the forefront of the development of wave and tidal energy, and it makes no sense to burden it with disproportionately high transmission charges.
“The EU’s Energy Directive specifically states that transmission charges should be set in such a way so as not to disadvantage peripheral areas, in particular the islands.”
Shetland Islands Council has still to make its own submission. Deadline for doing so was 14 February.
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