The vast renewable energy resource in the Western Isles must be properly harnessed, Energy Minister Jim Mather said today, as he announced a study to examine how to derive economic and community benefit from renewable energy developments, while respecting environmental obligations.
Speaking at the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's Energy Summit in Stornoway today, he said: “The Western Isles have a vast and enviable resource to develop renewable energy - from onshore wind to energy from wave and tide.
“There must be renewable energy development across the Isles if we are to ensure that the opportunities and benefits of a renewables revolution can be shared fairly across Scotland.
“At the same time, the Western Isles also enjoys an outstanding natural environment which is protected in places under European law. We must find a way to ensure developments proceed in harmony with environmental obligations.
“I can today announce that we are working with the Council to carry out a study of how renewable energy and other projects can deliver economic and community benefit to the Western Isles while remaining consistent with conservation obligations.
“We have asked the Comhairle, HIE, SNH and SEPA and other stakeholders to work with us and help conduct a study to be ready by the autumn.
“When completed, the study will set the stage for sustainable development to provide a base for economic, social and community renewal on the islands.”
The key objectives of the study are to identify renewable energy potential, including the role of different scales of commercial and community-based wind farms and hydro schemes. It should seek to outline the extent, in scale and timescale, to which this potential can deliver economic and community development compatible with environmental obligations. It also aims to identify other opportunities for sustainable development initiatives at different scales which might contribute to delivering economic and community benefit compatible with environmental obligations. It is to produce a report and recommendations for action at a community rather than individual site level, and it will not consider individual planning applications
One person has commented on this article. 1. Study to examine economic and community benefits of renewable en
Roland Chaplain, Glenkens Sustai, Unregistered This 'Study' is strongly welcomed. It is something which many other remote rural communities on the Mainland have also been calling for. It is important for communities to engage with potential windfarm developers in a deepening partnership designed to ensure sutainable regeneration of remote rural areas. One would hope that at the very least this would include eventual community ownership of one or more of the turbines on every new windfarm. A growing number of people are calling for the new National Planning Framework 2, due to be agreed early 2009 by the Scottish Parliament, to make this a requirement of any new major renewable energy related developments.
No rural community wants to feel that it is being ripped off by some large developer located in the Central Belt or even further afield. The harnessing of every available form of renewable energy is hugely important to Scotland's future. Payments of community windfarm benefit go some way towards acknowledging that, for at least some people, there is a loss of amenity associated with windfarm developments and possibly even a loss of income for a few. Many see these payments as a bribe. There needs to be a process of identifying suitable locations for such developments and then empowering communities to drive them forward.
Since May 2005 regional authorites through COSLA have been signed up to the National Standards for Community Engagement. These 'Standards' need now to be integrated into the new National Planning Framework 2. Combine this with a national strategy which identifies suitable sites and clearly rules out others. Then hopefully there will be the possibility for constructive dialogue which in the future will lead to schemes over which communities feel they have a real level of ownership.
This sense of 'ownership' radically transforms a perceived 'threat' into a positive 'opportunity'. Enthusiastic promotion, attractive environmental displays, good access, partnerships in small and medium scale renewable energy projects, significant levels of community and individual ownership of turbines and support for energy conservation and local fuel poverty measures all add up to a very different economics from the fears expressed in the recently published Glasgow Caledonian University report on 'Windfarms and Tourism'.
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