Energy Minister hopeful of grid progress 24/2/14
Scotland’s Energy Minister Fergus Ewing is hopeful of a break in the impasse surrounding grid connections for the Western Isles.
Delays in building a sub-
Without a solution turbines will not be built and associated employment will not happen.
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has convened a summit in Stornoway to discuss solutions to the difficulties with council leaders and local politicians from Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
Representatives from Ofgem, the UK Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, grid owner SSE and developers will also attend.
Fergus Ewing said: “Renewable energy generation on the islands presents a massive opportunity for sustainable economic growth. Thousands of jobs and millions of pounds of community benefits will give current and future generations the ability to thrive in our island communities.
“Progress has been made in recent months and I welcome the fact that the UK Government has listened to Scottish Government calls for additional support for onshore wind on the islands.”
He stressed: “However, some important administrative and regulatory hurdles remain to be addressed.”
“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-
“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."