Wind Energy Planning

Green Light for Power Line Good for Scottish Wind Energy

The contentious new power line from Beauly in the Scottish Highlands to Denny in the south was given the green light today.

Minister for Energy Jim Mather MSP announced the Beauly-Denny Transmission Upgrade:

“The Beauly – Denny upgrade is the most significant grid infrastructure project in a generation. Scotland’s electricity network needs significant reinforcement to allow our vast renewables potential to be harnessed, transmitted and exported – currently we simply do not have the transmission capacity to carry the green energy which Scotland will generate over the coming years.”

“The Beauly-Denny upgrade will help unlock Scotland’s onshore and offshore energy potential and this consent recognises the wider context, benefits and challenges of a development of this scale and opportunity.”

The proposed power lines were subject to an extensive Public Inquiry in 2007. Inquiry Reporters concluded that the line is necessary from a technical and economic perspective, and is consistent with both the Applicants’ duties under the Electricity Act and with national Planning and Energy policy.

The Reporters recommended that, apart from two short sections, the line should be consented.

Niall Stuart, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables said the upgrade is good news for the economy, employment and the environment. “The upgrade is absolutely vital if we are to capture the full potential of Scotland’s unique wind, wave and tidal resources” said Stuart.

How will UK Nuclear Energy be Funded?

UK Government ministers are telling the public that nuclear energy is essential to meet our low carbon electricity requirements over the coming years. When ministers announced that nuclear energy was to be part of the UK’s energy future several years ago they also said that the taxpayer will not subsidise new reactors.

The tabloids a few weeks ago contained numerous articles about the cost of renewable energy. The media has this week started to realise the greater financial implications of nuclear energy.

In order to build nuclear reacters companies need to be confident enough to invest the tens of billions of pounds required. Some utilities are now saying that the economics do not stack up and the next generation of nuclear power stations will not be built unless the Government provides direct financial assistance.

Conservative Councils’ Poor Wind Farm Record

Conservative Councils refuse more wind farm planning applications than Labour Councils according to figures released this week.

The Figures on wind farm approvals released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change show that Conservative Councils approved 44.7 megawatts (MW) of onshore wind energy schemes whilst Labour Councils approved 68.3 MW. This is despite the Conservatives controlling the majority of rural Council areas where wind farms in England are usually proposed.

Oxford University Wind Energy Study

This post is to provide information to people who are interested in wind energy and how it can help the UK produce greener electricity. The study referred to was carried out in 2005 so capacity factors (and the amount of electricity generated figures) for wind turbines are probably now even higher.