ShareThis

.

.

23 January 2003

S1M-3751 Renewable Energy (Rural Communities)

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Mr Murray Tosh): The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S1M-3751, in the name of George Lyon. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes the ambitious targets set by the Scottish Executive for renewable energy generation; recognises the potential job benefits to be gained from a Scottish manufacturing support base for renewable energy; further recognises the crucial importance of communities benefiting from wind farms and other renewable energy developments in their areas; notes the growing number of wind farm planning applications across rural Scotland; notes with concern the hostile reception such applications have received from members of the local community, who perceive no benefit to the community; further notes that benefits can be delivered through community ownership, rental income, reduced electricity bills or other methods, and considers that the Executive should ensure that the Scottish economy and affected communities benefit from the expansion of renewable energy.
17:16
... ... ...
17:44
Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): I thank George Lyon for giving us the opportunity to discuss this important topic. As my colleague Fiona McLeod made clear, SNP members are enthusiastic about the future role of renewables in Scotland. She asked me whether I could come up with an idea for exploiting one resource that we have not talked about: rain. I know that that is exploited through hydropower, but I have come up with another idea. You never know—I could be a millionaire yet.
We are at a crossroads. About 100 wind farms might be constructed in Scotland in the coming years, if the Executive rubber-stamps everything. We must ensure that we take the right direction, especially for our rural communities, which will be directly affected by the construction of such wind farms.
How do we get that right? We must think about several issues. It is all very well for the commercial companies that develop the wind farms graciously to provide some funds for local development, but that must be part of the process and locked in—not just an act of good will.
I say to Tavish Scott that we must ensure that we are not snookered by the objections of those who live closest to wind farms. Perhaps they should benefit from the cheaper power sources. Some who live next to proposed wind farms are concerned that their houses are being devalued. It would be great if those houses were heated for free by the commercial wind farm that was on their doorstep. I know that difficulties are encountered in stepping down voltages for domestic use, but they are solvable. In our more rural western and north-eastern communities and in other rural communities, that would be a huge benefit.
Fabrication yards will be needed to manufacture turbines. We have one; let us get more.
Other members referred to the national grid. What they talked about will not happen unless we have the capacity to take the product to market. My constituency has a large gas-fired power station, but one third of its capacity cannot be operated as the facility to take away the product does not exist. Because of that absence, we lose many benefits.
For local communities that have wind farms on their doorstep, we need a rigorous and clear planning process. Some of my constituents in Stoneyhill near Peterhead are exercised by the prospect of a wind farm near them. We need clear evidence and criteria—not just a preset agenda in support of renewables—to determine the decisions on any planning requests.
Evidence that was published in 2000 said that wind farms were viewed more favourably after their construction by people who lived closest to them, but a parliamentary answer says that that survey had some technical flaws. My conversations suggest that those flaws are purely technical. They might or might not invalidate the results, but we need clarity. I hope that the minister can tell us that that will be sorted out soon.
We look to the minister to assure all of us whose constituents might be affected by wind farm developments this year, next year or in the coming years as we proceed to the Executive's target, or our target, that we will consider the needs of the people who live close to the wind farms and protect them from any actual or perceived disadvantages.
17:48

Stewart Stevenson
does not gather, use or
retain any cookie data.

However Google who publish for us, may do.
fios ZS is a name registered in Scotland for Stewart Stevenson
www.blogger.com www.ourblogtemplates.com


  © Blogger templates The Professional Template by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP