24/11/2024
๐ง๐ข ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ง ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ช๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ https://dear-neighbour-letter.tiiny.site/
๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ.
Our beloved Highlands, our communities and many of our friends and neighbours are being subjected to an onslaught of energy industry infrastructure, applications and developments. These do not appear to have the same genuine respect for our environment or ourselves as we do. Increasingly, it feels as if we are not being treated in a way that would be considered respectful, just, acceptable, or appropriate. The agendas playing out are often ambiguous and at times misleading. We know there are many things we need for the Highlands in order to have a sustainable and thriving economy; however it should be created for and with us, one we consent to, rather than one thatโs driven at, and over us to satisfy the agendas of others. Energy companies claim we are being engaged with, but itโs lip service, a tick box exercise. They claim to listen to our views whilst planning to destroy them. Their actions suggest we are seen as minor irritants or obstacles of a done deal, indifferent, unaware, pushovers even. We are important though, each one of us and whatever our views, this is our home, this is our future. The consequences of allowing others to do as they feel to us and our environment without true care or our agreement, are too painful to consider.
Hearing how ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ feel, ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ truth, is more valuable than you can imagine.
www.thewalloftruthcarrolrock.co.uk is a place where we can speak our truth.
But first, some information that you may find interesting.
๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ?
Neighbour is being pitted against neighbour. As one local person or landowner is tempted with offers of riches and wealth by energy companies, others in the community are left feeling betrayed, angry, anxious, and in mourning for what they know will be lost and forever changed around them.
๐ช๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ, ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐?
Our neighbours are having to. At public hearings they stand against teams from energy multinationals, led at times by bullish, arrogant and demeaning figures, whose masters wish the locals to fold under the relentless pressure of wind farm, BESS, and energy park developments they are encircling them with. If they fend off one unchained developer another appears, and then another. Our neighbours around Strath Oykel, Rosehall, Rogart, Beauly and so many other communities around the Highlands will tell you what they have had to do and are facing.
๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐, ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น?
We can try to have our voices heard and object to planning applications, but once planning has been approved something more sinister can be summoned. Compulsory purchase orders (CPO) are a mechanism enabling certain bodies to acquire or take land from people without their consent. Energy companies are able to apply for, and use these laws to their advantage; the powers of the Electricity Act 1989, the Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure)(Scotland) Act 1947. These are being used to enable enormous infrastructure and construction equipment to get to isolated rural sites during construction, or to take generated power across the Highlands to connect to the grid. It can involve our neighbours suffering personal loss or collateral damage whether they consent to it or not. Crofts, farms, paddocks, gardens, or even precious woodland can be ploughed through or cut down, so that energy companies can take their electrical produce to the market. In one single issue of a local paper, we saw more than 50 CPOโs related to a single windfarm in Caithness. If developers and SSEN are left to do what they are planning to do, the number of Highlanders soon to be affected will be off the scale.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐.
A government report has identified them as having hazards that pose a serious risk to the immediate vicinity. These include explosions, toxic fumes, water run-off, ground contamination and, thermal runaway/battery fires that are so challenging a chief fire officer has stated that concerns over them have kept her awake at night. Unbelievable as it may seem, despite this, neither the Scottish Fire and Rescue service, the Health and Safety executive or SEPA are required to be statutory consultees on any planning applications. Is that right?
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐, ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ?
Visitors have come year after year to get a little slice of what surrounds us every day, and many of us depend on them for our survival. Where articles on the Highlands however were once about unspoiled wildernesses, stunning scenery, wildlife, rich history and wellbeing, they now use words like Gigawatts, Renewables, Net Zero, targets and ambition. Wellbeing is no longer on the page. If we donโt stand up for what brings them here, then who will? The Government is riding on the backs of the raiders destroying our landscapes and heritage, shouting โgiddy upโ! The fear, anxiety, pressure and worry caused by what is happening now, how it is happening and what may be about to happen outside their windows, has led to some of our neighbours upping and trying to move home. When that starts to happen something is very wrong. Where in the Highlands will they move to? Where will be spared?
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ?
Can you remember when turbines were around 55m to tip, before they crept up to100m then 150m? Each time we voiced concerns over the heights, visibility and the effects on the landscape and our environment and they claimed to listen. 150m became 180m and we said โWhat about the height? The heights a problemโ. 180m grew to 200m . Now some applications for wind turbines onshore have increased to a colossal 230m to 250m. In our rural, natural, beautiful nature rich, picture post card environments. ๐๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ 4 ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ (๐๐ธ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐), ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป 230๐บ? They are all in the city of London, on flat ground. Wind farms are on hills, but the energy companies and powers that be, seem intent on us having thousands more standing on them. Offshore ones are growing even larger. Can you believe when we now object, we are told it has to happen to prevent the environment from being destroyed or we are called anti-environment, NIMBYS, un-green, selfish? How is this being allowed to happen?
๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฝ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ถ๐?
We constantly see press releases from wind farm developers saying how many homes their windfarm can power with cheap clean energy. 500,000 homes, 133,000 homes . Are you getting it? Can we see on a map which homes are getting this cheap clean energy? Are they in England or Scotland? In 2019 the World press announced that in the first half of that year, we-Scotland- had produced enough electricity from wind to power all our Scottish homes twice over. It seems 5 years later, regardless of all the sacrifices we are making with the production of their cheap clean energy, we are being rewarded with a system that, despite having it produced on our doorsteps, continues to charge us way more for it than others.
๐ฆ๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐.
When referring to the rolling out of renewable energy infrastructure and developments, we hear statements from the industry and Ministers like, โwe must do this faster than legislation allowsโ, or โthis needs to be fast tracked if targets are to be metโ. The flood gates have been opened and you would hope that Highland Council Planning, Nature Scot, Scottish Environment Protection Agency SEPA and others would be given increased funding and resources, to ensure that their work can be carried out thoroughly and not rushed. You would hope that Nature Restoration Projects, and Scottish Rural Development Programmes would also receive funding rather than cuts. Everybody knows what happens when you try to do a rush job. Accidents happen, mistakes are made, things are missed and 9 times out of 10, itโs a bad job!
SSEN Transmission and others say they are committed to โmeaningful consultationโ but at the same time, Sir Keir Starmer says undergrounding is too expensive. Ed Miliband vouches to deal with obstructionists or delayers as a matter of national security. Nick Winser, the UKโs electricity network commissioner and others want to remove our ability to trigger any public enquiries, as they believe politicians should decide, not us.
Any engagement developers have with us feels like lip service, a tick box exercise; we have seen legislation changed to give more support to energy companies. National Planning Framework 4 and Section 36 consents have been brought into play. Now for any developments over 50MW, a Government Minister has the power to decide if certain projects go ahead. Even if we, our local Councils, Nature Scot, SEPA, RSPB, Historic Environment Scotland, Highland Council and Government Reporters say NO, a Government Minister can decide to say YES if it suits them on the day. Democracy and our voice is being eroded.
๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐. ๐ก๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ.
If you were developing a new national park, involved in an urban regeneration scheme, planning the Oasis tour, moving giant pandas back to China or releasing a new shampoo, you would have a project director, project managers, producers, designers and planners. They would plan everything nut and bolt. They would plan the finish at the start and would know absolutely what that looked like. They would know all environments involved and the sensitivities needed to carefully navigate them. The welfare of everyone involved or affected would be studied in advance and remodeled, tweaked, improved. They would make sure everything was carefully and sensitively aligned with brand, and they would run through everything over and over to ensure nothing had been missed or couldnโt be improved upon. Then they would start.
Wellโฆโฆ.when it comes to the rolling out of renewable energy in the Highlands and where all the infrastructure, wind farms, solar parks , Bess, Hydro and Hydrogen schemes will go, there is no master plan. There is no project director, project manager, producer, designer, overall architect or planner. There is no scale model that anybody can stand around to discuss the overall plan and see how it will affect who, what, where, when. No computer model, no drawing. There is no office. There is no desk.
Nobody knows when the last wind farm, BESS, Solar Park, hydrogen plant or pylon will be built. There is no โoff switchโ.
The only plan that those in power have, is to help the energy giants throw as much as possible at us and see what sticks. For energy corporations and developers this is heaven, a dream come true. Rather than making money for their shareholders, they can instead don haloโs and market it as saving the planet, net zero and meeting Government targets as their reason for doing what theyโre doing.
There is one word that terrifies them all, Ministers and energy executives alike โฆ..MORATORIUM!
๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐?
We get the same story from all the energy companies that are queuing up to have a slice of Highlands action. We hear from them that we need their developments and infrastructure, if we are to meet Scottish Government targets, get to Net Zero and have energy security. These could be 2030, 2045, 2050 targets or, ones the Government were reported to have scrapped in April 2024. The UK government, OFGEM, The National Grid, UK Parliament and others all say similar and have figures and targets you can look at. When you start to look more closely at those targets, calculations, forecasts and figures, (please do) what becomes clear is nothing! It looks like they are all in a bit of a muddle. The information is so messy, unclear, changeable and varied, that it is no surprise that Government Ministers have and still are, making statements that donโt seem to add up mathematically, are incorrect, or contradict their own published information or previous statements. As is the politicians way, they do it with the conviction of a bluffer in a poker gameโฆโฆyet this is no game.
You can follow some of the Scottish Government energy statistics quarterly online. In the June 2024 figures youโll see there were 75 new renewable energy projects under construction, an additional 445 with planning approved and 300 in planning. A Total of 830 potential projects already on the table. If you add the 75 in construction and the 445 approved to capacity we already have, it looks to the untrained eye that weโve already got enough to hit the target they scrapped and, if the 300 in planning were approved, it appears it could be overshot considerably.
They tell us the capacity for generation is constantly increasing, BUT at the same time there is a consistent and steady fall in energy consumption.
In January 2024 the then Energy Secretary Neil Gray, announced with pride that back in 2022, Scotland had already generated from renewable energy, the equivalent of 113% of its overall electricity consumption. For the first time Scotland had produced more than it had consumed. Again, in Q4 2022 Government statistics stated, โthe amount of renewable electricity generated in Scotland in 2022 is the equivalent of powering all households in Scotland for around three and half yearsโ. According to our Government we continue to generate more electricity than we need
But then other statements are made by Scottish Ministers such as:
โScotlandโs rich renewables resources means we can not only generate enough cheap, green electricity to power Scotlandโs economy, we can also generate a ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐น๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฝ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐โ.
Rather than saving the planet, having energy security or trying to meet Net Zero, is that not black and white commercial gain? Would that mean they are happy to destroy our heritage, our nature, our world-famous landscapes, jobs and businesses that rely on tourism, to make money?
When you read online information and speak to representatives from the energy industry, it appears they are already ahead of us here. During a public consultation recently at Rosehall, a representative of an energy company had many of the issues and injustices facing us and our neighbours put to him. He calmly admitted and agreed that there were flaws in the system, that it wasnโt their fault. It was just business. The Government had set the playing field and regardless of whether it was wrong or not, they will continue to make hay while the sun shines. When asked if they would stop if Government targets were proved to be met, he replied that they had their own targets, separate from any Government onesโ and ultimately, thatโs what they would be focused on.
Could a couple of statements by a different, yet one of the biggest renewable energy companies operating in our region, SSE, suggest similar? In their annual report 2023 you find:
โTogether as a group, SSEโs businesses are well positioned to capture the substantial growth opportunities generated, by driving and accelerating the Net Zero agenda through electricity infrastructureโ
โWe have always said our Net Zero Acceleration Programme (NZAP) represents the floor, not the ceiling, of our ambitionsโ.
In the same report the Chairs statement from Sir John Manzoni states that they have, โengaged constructively with Policymakers to ensure that we can continue to fulfil our purpose and generate value for our Shareholders and society more widelyโ
Does this mean they are influencing Policymaking for the benefit of their Shareholders first and foremost?
When SSEN first started talking about the 400kv giant pylon route they were planning to run through our landscapes, many of us remember being told the upgrade was needed to keep the lights on. When we said, โwhy carve your power through our landscapes, why not put it on the sea bedโ? Did we not hear that it was problematic to do that, too costly and technically challenging? Some of our neighbours suggested that they wouldnโt put it under the sea because it was needed for the other energy projects and infrastructure that was going to be covering the Highlands. They asked SSEN if the giant pylons were actually needed for their own and other energy partners electricity projects and, planned business growth. A route to take their electricity product to market. A commercial venture that perhaps their Shareholders and their partners businesses would be the main beneficiaries. SSEN representatives deflected these questions and pointed the finger at Government, OFGEM, policies and targets.
๐๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐น๐?
It is wonderful to see so many groups and charities benefitting from handouts or community benefits, that have come from whichever energy developer has been generating power in their community. Many good things have come from these payments and that should not be forgotten.
These benefits surprisingly have still not been made mandatory by the Scottish Government and are still optional for developers, with recommended amounts being quite small. Surely, as we have the natural resources which all the developers want and have to live with their infrastructure, we should be dictating terms shouldnโt we? It seems not.
Some of our neighbours are receiving community benefit payments of between ยฃ200,000 and ยฃ500,000 per year. Is this a generous thank you that reflects how much the energy company is benefitting from a community partnership or are we actually paying it to ourselves?
You have to think.
Constraint payments are not paid to us but to energy companies when they turn the turbines or generators off.
On the National Energy System Operators (NESO) website, it describes them as payments made to energy generatorsโฆ.
โWhen there are physical constraints on the network (ie the network cannot physically transfer the power from one region to another), we ask generators to reduce their output to maintain system stability and manage the flows on the network. Generators are then compensated via a constraint payment. The alternative is building more infrastructure at a significant cost, meaning higher bills for consumers.โ
Since 2010 these additional payments have cost consumers โ US - in excess of ยฃ1Billion.
Some ask, why are they building more energy developments if they are turning the existing ones off, it seems senseless. Others, such as The Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) donโt think it should be allowed, as surely it is a foreseeable commercial risk and, as the developer goes in with their eyes open, they should not be compensated. Fact is, it has and does happen. The REF site it shows that in Scotland in 2023, these additional payments to wind farms alone amounted to more than ยฃ278,000,000, and in the current year Jan โ Oct more than ยฃ256,000,000.
As consumers, we ultimately pay for these additional payments through our bills.
On the Scottish Governmentโs register of Community Benefits, it gives a total figure of just over ยฃ25,000,000 of benefit that was offered to communities in Scotland, for the 12 months preceding February 2024.
It may be a simplistic or naรฏve way of looking at it but, if you had to pay someone ยฃ100 to NOT make something, and they gave you ยฃ10 back and called it a benefit, would you feel you were valued by them? And if they went around telling everyone and their dog how wonderful they were and what a benefit it was for you, would you feel blessed or angry?
On the REF site you can look at any of our wind farms in the UK and see the value of these additional payments received.
Fortunately Independents and Charities like REF keep an eye on what is being charged; where they believe energy generators are charging more than they should, or even where they shouldnโt be charging at all, they share their findings with OFGEM and suggest they add it to their list of investigations. Some of the amounts overcharged are incredible, and history shows it is not unusual for the same companies to be found in breach of their licenses more than once.
If you search online you can find many examples of energy companies being found guilty of breaching their licensing conditions and overcharging, leading to higher costs for the consumer.
In 2023 a major energy company SSE who had already faced fines as far back as 2015, had its fine reduced from ยฃ11.58 million to ยฃ9.8 million as the company settled the investigation early. This was in connection with Foyers pumped storage power station at Loch Ness.
A year later in May 2024 the same energy company found another windfarm it was involved in, Beatrice, subject to a record ยฃ33million fine for breaching energy market rules.
When you look at the giant 400kv pylon line that SSEN is planning to march across our land. When you look at the initial ยฃ2MILLION community benefit they claim to be offering in their regional fund. When you compare that amount with the ยฃ2.4BILLION operating profit reported by SSE this year, you have to ask yourself, how much of that profit was created from projects in and around our communities, the Highlands and Islands? How much less would that profit be if they hadnโt been given permission to generate power in those areas? And you have to ask yourself, do their actions and the benefits handed out really show their gratitude, are they generous, or does it make you feel like you are being used or patronised? The Pylon line will make their shareholders bigger and bigger profits, and we are the ones who will be paying the cost for that. Although apparently itโs not about money, itโs about Net Zero, energy security and government targets!
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ?
We hear about jobs a great deal and although promised in huge numbers, most of the people we meet connected with the renewables industry seem to come from somewhere else.
On the Isle of Wight in England, they make turbine blades and it supports lots of jobs. The Government have already said that we are producing more power than we need. Why not have a moratorium on energy projects and developments to properly plan what is possible and where? Ensure it is sensitively planned for our environment and communities. Why not at the same time, pour investment into home grown manufacturing connected to renewables? Production facilities could be set up all over Scotland where they would be best suited or needed for the economy. They have been talking about the Green Freeport. Why not make it work? Produce rather than import. Produce tangible products that can be exported. Protect our valuable environment, landscapes and tourism and create jobs at the same time. Energy companies wonโt like that because it will be Scotland benefitting rather than them. Wouldnโt that be like having your cake and eating it?
๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Energy companies are very effective at marketing. They have the money, big marketing teams, communication experts and directors. They are able to feed the press with information they want us to believe at targeted times. That is a natural part of corporate marketing and communication. Community benefits can be leveraged to provide very cheap advertising for them. If you get ยฃ300 from a benefit fund to send some local children for a day out, they may just want to get their message across in a double page spread. If you have a private business, try and get a double page spread for your business for that. Try and get as much free space in the press for your business as they do. You will not be able to. If you look a little deeper, you will be surprised at the messages that are shared online and in the media. There is an energy company- Ocean Winds- that has a promotional cartoon aimed at children where the sea creatures tell us that every time a new wind turbine is installed in the sea, they have a party! Take a look for yourself. Do you think this is right? It is called โWhere does the light come from -The Heli story. https://youtu.be/Tl-hfu3U-_Q
๐ฃ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ผ๐ปโฆ https://www.thewalloftruthcarrolrock.co.uk/
๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐
