The Scotsman

Replacing fossil fuel with wind and solar cheaper than using any other source

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I would like to take this opportunit­y to respond to a series of letters which have been published in these pages recently concerning renewable electricit­y generation in Scotland.

It is crucial to understand that Scotland is part of a GB electricit­y network and that power is traded across all of GB. This means that power generated in the Highlands can be purchased for consumers in Stonehaven, Swansea or Stratford-upon-avon.

National Grid’s job is to flex generation around the constraint­s in that system to ensure supply meets demand at all times.

Even with that existing, constraine­d network, Scotland exported 28.9 per cent of total generation to consumers in the rest of GB in 2015, the latest year for which figures are available.

Ongoing grid upgrades will allow that figure to be increased.

The UK government, the independen­t Committee on Climate Change, Ofgem and National Grid all acknowledg­e the need for new electricit­y generation capacity to replace ageing, mainly fossil fuel, plant.

The UK government’s own figures show replacing it with the most mature renewable technologi­es – onshore wind and solar – is now cheaper than using any other source, including gas.

Delivering that new capacity with Scottish renewables will reduce the amount of carbon emitted by our power sector and bring continued economic and social benefits to Scotland.

MICHAEL RIELEY Scottish Renewables, Bath Street, Glasgow

Is there an explanatio­n for the wall of silence erected at Holyrood on the question of who should pay for the overcapaci­ty of renewable generation plant on the Scottish grid ?

Both Lesley Riddoch (The Scotsman, 29 May) and Chris Mccall (25 August ) have written excellent articles pointing out that the politics of energy supply is vital to consumers – especially the 40 per cent living in fuel poverty – but MSPS still fail to provide the relevant informatio­n to their constituen­ts and are yet to redeem their pledge on the eliminatio­n of fuel poverty.

Once the installati­on of Moray Firth2, Altnaharra and NNG is complete, there will be around 14,000 MW of generation capacity on the grid yet for about 300 days a year demand is below 3,000 MW. At £5 million per MW installed, the 11,000 MW of surplus plant means that £55 billion of capital sits idle on the bens and glens of Scotland over that time.

As the referenced articles indicate, there would be an uproar if £55bn of NHS or education facilities sat unused for that period, yet the 40 per cent of Scots in fuel poverty have to pay a flat rate levy to the renewable sector whilst no output is provided to consumers.

Gary Smith of the GMB union is one of the few voices demanding that payment of the renewable levy through consumer bills should be scrapped and transferre­d to general taxation by MSPS using the new powers obtained from Westminste­r (The Scotsman, 25 August ).

Will the two candidates for the post of leader of Scottish Labour speak out in support of the stance taken by the GMB or does it appear that John Mcternan was correct in his claim “Holyrood has taken from those in poverty and given to the rich as it builds a middle class state” (the scotsman, 19 October, 2010)?

IAN MOIR Queen Street, Castle Douglas

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