Energy / SSE employees among those asking about cheaper energy bills, Scottish secretary says
THE UK secretary for Scotland says SSE employees have been among those asking if the Viking Energy wind farm will reduce their energy bills.
Labour MP Ian Murray said it is not just Shetland Islands Council (SIC) that have been making the case for a Shetland tariff to him.
He was speaking towards the end of a two-day visit to the isles today (Friday), which has seen him visit the SaxaVord Spaceport in Unst and Shetland Soap Company in Lerwick.
Murray, who was appointed secretary for Scotland by prime minister Keir Starmer in July, also visited the Viking wind farm – which he called a “huge, huge piece of infrastructure”.
There have been repeated calls for Shetlanders to be the ones who benefit from the renewable energy being generated from the wind farm, which is hoped to deliver cheaper energy bills.
That has led to the SIC exploring the possibility of a Shetland tariff, which would see islanders pay less for their energy.
Murray said that idea had been “raised by the council, raised by the employees at SaxaVord and raised by the employees at SSE”.
“It’s quite clear the big challenge we have is that people can see the infrastructure out their windows, and then they look at their energy bill and it’s frightening,” the MP said.
“They’re quite right to feel they want to see a much greater benefit.”
Asked if the Labour government would prevent any future major energy projects in Shetland unless there was the guarantee the community would benefit, Murray said: “The public have to buy into these big projects from the start.”
He added the Shetland Community Benefit Fund was one way in which Viking would distribute income back into the community.
But Murray said it was clear that “government and industry” needed to ensure people were delivered cheaper bills in areas housing major renewable projects.
“The balance has to be struck,” he added.
Murray, who is MP for Edinburgh South, said the Viking wind farm had taken too long – over 20 years – from initial conception to eventually going online.
“It has to be done quicker.
“It took over 20 years, which is 20 years of wind that could have been bringing people’s bills down already.
“It’s in nobody’s interest – the infrastructure has to be done much quicker.
“The system is taking too long.”
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