Greens not convinced
I am grateful for the chance to respond to your correspondent from Australia Davie Thomason (Shetland Times website, 8th March) and his letter headed “No reply from Greens” on the subject of the proposed Viking Energy windfarm.
The Scottish Greens have a clear view on the opportunities renewable energy can bring for Shetland, and on the problems with the current development. We cannot always reply immediately to emails from Australia when there is an election on here, but for information here is what we sent back.
“We believe the Northern Isles have an extraordinary opportunity to benefit from renewables, just as they have from oil and gas, and that includes wave and tidal power as well as onshore and offshore wind.
“We also want to see proper community benefit and shared ownership, not just consultation. With onshore wind, though, developers need to be very careful about siting, especially when peat bogs are under threat – this was also a problem with the proposed Lewis development – and we are not convinced that the current plans are the right project in the right place.”
Eleanor Scott
Co-convener,
Scottish Green Party
8 Culcairn Road,
Evanton.
Kevin Learmonth
Well said. Every project has to be judged in its own merits.
The SSE / Shetland Heat Energy and Power wind to heat proposal for Lerwick has a lot of merit. Similar wind to heat projects may be possible elsewhere in Shetland.
This debate is not about simplistic support or opposition to wind power. Some projects will bring real community and environmental benefit, and some wont. I believe the Viking Energy scheme poses a real environmental and financial risk to Shetland.
Sustainable Shetland has been saying for 3 years that Viking Energy is the wrong project, in the wrong place, for the wrong reasons.
When it comes to Viking Energy, the Scottish greens are now saying they are “not convinced that the current plans are the right project in the right place”.
Other political parties would do well to take note.