Community Windfarms Need Immediate Action By SSE

30 April, 2010 - 10:06 — admin

Community Windfarms Need Immediate Action By SSE  

Millions of pounds of much needed cash will be lost to communities in the Western Isles if Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) doesn’t act immediately to connect their projects to the electricity grid. Community Energy Scotland has written to SSE’s boss, Ian Marchant, urging him to move immediately to confirm 2011 connection offers to seven community windfarms and hydro projects in the Western Isles. According to David Cameron, chairman of Community Energy Scotland: “We have an extraordinary position in the Western Isles where, despite all the great words, there is only a total of 7MW installed capacity.
 
Our community group members have worked diligently and, with our help, have overcome tremendous obstacles to get to a point now where they have projects totalling 21.5MW, almost ready to go. But they are being told that their connection offers may be withdrawn or put back years. In our opinion, there is no regulatory or technical reason why at least 3.8MW cannot be confirmed now for 2011. Furthermore, we believe that by applying a minor limit to two private windfarms on Skye, other community projects in the Western Isles could also be connected next year. “
 
Community Energy Scotland is asking SSE to act now to resolve the uncertainty and re-assure all the groups concerned that the years of voluntary effort that have gone into these projects won’t be wasted.”