News / Islands energy summit seeks breakthrough
RENEWABLE energy experts, politicians and officials gather in the western isles on Monday to try and break the impasse on generating green power in the Scottish islands.
The Scottish government is bringing together the island councils with the UK government, energy regulator Ofgem, grid owner SHETL and the industry to find a way to unlock investment for island renewables.
The move follows last year’s Baringa report that suggested the island communities could earn £30 million a year and create 30,000 jobs while generating five per cent of the UK’s electricity by 2030.
The Baringa report pointed out that generating wind power cost more on the isles than on the mainland, but was more cost effective than offshore wind.
However to realise its potential the industry required “anchor projects” like Viking Energy to justify investment in interconnectors.
Yet this would not be possible without significant effort put in to overcome the cost barriers, such as the cost of transmission from the isles.
Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing, who will convene the summit, said while he welcomed UK government support for onshore wind on the isles, “some important administrative and regulatory hurdles remain to be addressed”.
He said: “Key uncertainties remain over both the level of support for renewable generation and the cost of using the transmission network.
“These uncertainties have effectively created an impasse between the key players, with nobody so far able to take the final steps to unlock necessary investment in grid infrastructure.
“The only way to address these issues is through greater coordination and co-operation between the key players and that is why the island council leaders and I have called for all these parties to convene today in Stornoway.
“The summit will consider the issues holistically and look to establish where immediate action can be taken to overcome the barriers to progress.
“I have no doubt that the summit will take us further forward by clarifying what can be done now and what needs to be planned for the future.
“Today is an opportunity for us all to work together in driving forward change that will help the future generation.”
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