| Allan Wilson:
Of course we
export energy. We also wish to continue to export energy. For the SNP's
targets to mean anything in terms of Scotland having a market for the final
product, we have to get electricity to the consumer in the south of England
and, preferably, beyond. In order to do that, we have to upgrade the interconnectors
in England. If we are to do that, we have to invest. Where does the money
come from? It comes from the consumer—the UK consumer—and, for a fair
and equitable charging system to be applied to pay for that investment,
a single UK energy market is required. The SNP's policy of independence
in relation to energy production and its distribution is fatally flawed.
Anyway—where were we?
I believe that
most of us agree with George Lyon that Scotland's communities should share
in the economic and environmental benefits that are associated with the
new developments. To illustrate the wider benefits, we can point to the
establishment of the Vestas wind turbine facility near Campbeltown, which
created 150 new jobs in an economically deprived part of George Lyon's
constituency. The 65 new jobs that have been created in our island communities
have also been mentioned.
The wider position
is not always the most important. The crucial aspect of the motion is that
it acknowledges the opposition that some projects engender at the local
level and calls upon the Executive to ensure that local communities can
and do benefit from the projected increase in developments.
I agree fundamentally
with the motion. I am a wee bit worried by some of the noises that the
nationalists and the Tories have made. It is one thing to set targets and
aspirations and for members to stand up in the chamber and say how much
they support renewable energy projects, but if their troops at local level
go out and support or engender opposition to planning applications, those
people are frustrating the parties' objectives. The Opposition parties
have to address that challenge.
Fiona McLeod:
rose—
Allan Wilson:
I have to move on—I think that the SNP gets
the point I am making. It is simply not possible for planning applications
to be rubber stamped or for people to ride roughshod over them, and nor
should it be.
This week, as
Margaret Ewing mentioned, Lewis Macdonald announced the first section 36
wind farm consent in Scotland, at Cairn Uish in Moray. Cairn Uish serves
as an example of how such developments can benefit local communities in
terms of construction jobs and subsequent employment. We are talking about
millions of pounds-worth of contracts.
More important—to
answer a point that Fiona McLeod made—the developer, in line with industry
best practice, has provided for a community trust fund to develop community
projects in Margaret Ewing's constituency. The fund will give thousands
of pounds to community projects each year during the lifetime of the scheme.
That is how to demonstrate to local people the benefit of renewal energy
projects and how to overcome some of the opposition to the construction
of such farms that can arise.
In that context,
today's debate is timely. As Robin Harper said—he was there—we launched
a major initiative last week to encourage the uptake of renewables technologies
by Scottish communities and householders. Some £3.7 million will
be made available over the next three years for the Scottish community
renewables initiative grant scheme. That will enable grants to be made
available for communities to set up renewable energy projects in schools,
hospitals and community centres, for example. We have also established
the first network of community renewables advisers throughout Scotland
to assist those communities to take their first steps.
Robin Harper:
In the light of John Scott's vision of wind
farms marching across Scotland, does the minister agree that it is important
to reflect that even if we exploited commercially available wind power
in Scotland to the absolute maximum, it would take up no more than 3 per
cent of Scotland's surface land area?
Allan Wilson:
Yes—hence the importance of other sources of renewable energy generation,
not least wave and tidal power, which other members have mentioned. My
priority, which is possibly shared by all members in the chamber, is to
get those projects off the drawing board and into production so that we
can begin to receive the benefits of the technology to which members have
referred. In theory, such technology exists, but it has not proven itself
in practice in respect of wave and tidal energy production.
Tavish Scott
spoke about the potential for district heating schemes. We will support
heat and electricity projects under the Scottish community renewables initiative.
We want that to act as the first step towards developing a viable network
of businesses specialising in the installation of renewable energy technologies
to community and household properties throughout Scotland. The initiative
can perform an important task by educating and demonstrating to the wider
public how our communities can benefit from renewable energy development.
The recent injection
of new funds to which I referred has created tremendous interest. We have
received more than 100 expressions of interest since the launch of the
grant scheme last week. That is indicative of the potential. We will also
financially support the establishment of a wave test centre off the coast
of Orkney. I expect to make a further announcement about that shortly.
We will continue
to urge full and proper involvement of local interests in communities in
renewables development and continue to empower communities to set up their
own renewable energy projects—as George Lyon wishes—so that they can reap
the economic and sustainability benefits that such schemes can afford.
I assure Tavish
Scott that I will continue to press the Crown Estate Commission in respect
of its tax of the foreshore so that we can return the foreshore to the
people.
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