Boost community role in Britain’s clean energy superpower ambitions urges MP
11 September 2024
Island communities must get their fair share of the “wealth of wind” from renewable energy schemes, Torcuil Crichton has said.
The MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar has called for compulsory community shares in all
new windfarm developments and for the power regulator to guarantee access for community-owned
turbines on the national grid.
Speaking to the Western Isles Labour Party’s annual meeting at the weekend, Mr Crichton welcomed the government’s GB Energy Bill and called on ministers to go further in meeting community demand.
Mr Crichton told Labour members: “The Western Isles are at the epicentre of community-owned
windfarms in the UK bringing in millions of pound each year to their areas.”
“What these community owned schemes need, for renewal, for expansion, is funding, yes, but primarily access to the grid.
“For us in the Western Isles that means reserving space, by regulation or legislation, on the planned interconnector, to the mainland.”
This 18.Giga watt subsea cable planned for 2030 will take power from the already consented commercial onshore windfarms and potentially from offshore wind turbines on the Atlantic side of the islands.
The National Grid is currently consulting on a new approach to grid access which would enable it to progress certain projects over others in the grid queue to meet with the government’s new strategic priorities.
Mr Crichton said: “As one of these new priorities is to increase the size of the community sector it should be stated in the new guidance that National Grid are authorised to advance community projects in the grid queue to meet the government’s community energy target.”
“This change is the single most important reform to be delivered in terms of scaling up community energy and would add no cost, no administrative burden to any of the regulatory agencies or to the consumer.”
Mr Crichton warned if community owned projects are overlooked in the grid connection queue in favour of commercial operations, then ministers would “alienate the very people on the ground who support the renewables revolution.”
He added: “GB Energy’s challenge to deliver this transformation with the support of communities, the involvement of communities and the consent of communities.”
“That is why the government should require private developers to offer credible share ownership to communities.”
In Denmark it has been a long-standing requirement that developers are required to
offer 20% of any new project for purchase by the local community.
Mr Crichton told members: “A similar system should be made mandatory in the UK, delivered
through GB Energy and devolved to local control. It increases local support for green
energy, and it adds greatly to the long-term local economic benefit.”
“Be in no doubt that wind farming, onshore and offshore, is going to be multi-billion
pound industry and an extremely profitable one. Communities which host these turbines
must see their share of the gain.”
