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RENEWABLE ENERGY REPORT |
1 July 2004 |
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Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has welcomed a report into Renewable Energy from the Scottish Parliament’s Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee. The Chairman of Sustainable Development Cllr Archie Campbell said: “We welcome this report, especially the Committee’s support for the Scottish Executive’s Renewables targets. We fully agree with their view that the Executive should take a lead on the grid issue and support sensitive infrastructure projects to open up access to renewables generating sites. The same infrastructure is needed for both onshore and offshore windpower and wavepower. The issues surrounding this need to be resolved, including the interconnector to link power from the Islands into the National Grid. The Committee has identified some useful ways forward including pushing for renewable energy development other than onshore wind. The Comhairle has argued consistently that the commercial exploitation of all forms of alternative and renewable energy should be pursued in and around the Western Isles. We have also suggested that Western Isles become a testing ground for research and development for the technology of tomorrow, especially the development, production, storage and use of alternative and renewable energy. If the Executive is to meet its targets, then the technology of today will have to be used and that means onshore windfarms as the Committee has recognised. At the moment wavepower technology is still at the developmental stage. It is very much to be welcomed that the Committee agrees with the Comhairle’s view that renewable energy has a very bright future in Scotland. The Western Isles, with its abundance of raw energy supplies, can play a major part in contributing to the nation’s energy supplies and in tackling global environmental problems. The Comhairle, working with our partners , will ensure that in doing so, the benefits of the sector are maximised for the people of the Western Isles”. Nigel Scott Tel: 01851 709389 (Work) |
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