Wasted wind

Not a single MSP has pointed out the blow to the Scottish economy from the subsidies paid to the renewable sector in response to your article by Brian Monteith (Perspective, 19 March). Scotland currently has 11,500MW of installed generation, with a further 3,000 Mw of renewable s being installed. The Holyrood policy to build another 3,000 wind farms with a planned generation capacity of 11,000MW issued by Paul Wheelhouse on 21 December means there will be 25,500MW to meet a maximum demand of 4,500MW. Even exporting a further 3,500MW over the existing interconnector, plus 2,500 MW once the subsea link to North Wales is commissioned, means 15,000MW of generation capacity will sit idle on the wild lands of Torridon, the Cuillins and Arthur’s Seat.

The £55 billion capital cost of the policy identified by Mr Wheelhouse can only be repaid to wind farm shareholders through Constraint Payments as the units will never generate a single unit of electricity over their lifetime. The £12bn annual cost would add £4,000 to the energy bills of Scottish consumers unless the current arrangement, whereby 92 per cent is paid by RUK consumers, is maintained over the 25-year life of the wind farms.

Surely it would be better for the Scottish economy to ditch the proposals made by Mr Wheelhouse and transfer the Green Levy cash to the NHS, education and social welfare. How will paying £12bn a year for wind turbines that will never generate enhance the Scottish economy ?

IAN MOIR Queen Street, Castle Douglas