Politics: SNP-Green Ministers warned against turbines and pylons proliferation in the north-east
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SNP-Green Ministers have been warned against plans to build turbines and pylons far faster than local democracy can keep up.
Local MP Andrew Bowie wrote to Holyrood’s energy secretary over the “ongoing industrialisation” of the north-east.
The Scottish Government and ScotWind have awarded 27.6 gigawatt (GW) in offshore licences, far in excess of the government’s 11GW target for 2030.
This is placing additional demand on the onshore transmission network, adding to the network demand from the planned Hill of Fare.
In October last year, Mr Bowie fended off SNP amendments to the Energy Bill at Westminster which would have seen Scottish councils lose the powers of public inquiry, and halve the time allowed for public consultation.
As planning powers for all energy infrastructure rest with the Scottish Government, Mr Bowie told Mairi McAllan his West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine constituents would be “particularly impacted”.
He writes: “Many of my constituents feel deeply let down by the Scottish Government, which is enabling and encouraging an ongoing drastic, fast paced and poorly thought through changes to rural Scotland's unique landscape.
“Recently, Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scot Wind Auctions have awarded a substantial number of licenses to companies with a total offshore wind capacity of 27.6GW by 2030.
“This is far in excess of (the) 2030 target as published in 2020 of 11GW. I am concerned this was done without any appreciation for the onshore transmission required to deliver.
“Furthermore, this has placed a tremendous strain on transmission operators to deliver additional network capacity in an unrealistically short timeframe. This means that plans are presented earlier than would be considered prudent, and crucially that constituents have less time to feedback in consultation to any proposals put forward.
“None of the above accounts for additional onshore planned wind capacity. Which as well blighting the countryside, will require yet more transmission capacity. The Hill of Fare, for example, is the most recent large-scale application which has been spurred on by Scottish Government onshore wind targets, again with little consideration to the accompanying energy infrastructure required to move the electricity.
“It is clear that the Scottish Government thinks it is appropriate for the burden of nearly all of this onshore infrastructure to fall on the North & North East of Scotland.
“But as you are aware, planning and consenting is a fully devolved competency. This means that regardless of the regulatory role of the aforementioned bodies, the final decision for all the plans outlined above will rest with Scottish Government ministers.”
