POLL: Have your say on Shetland’s energy future
SSE Renewables announced last week that it would be plunging almost £600 million into the 103-turbine Viking Energy windfarm.
That news was welcomed by energy minister Paul Wheelhouse, along with SIC leader Steven Coutts and convener Malcolm Bell.
It was also met with anger from anti-Viking Energy group Sustainable Shetland and one of the SIC’s newest councillors, Moraig Lyall.
SSE’s investment paves the way for Ofgem to approve plans for a 600MW inter-connector cable between the isles and the mainland.
That could mean that as well as Viking Energy, companies such as Peel Energy and Energy Isles could move ahead with plans for windfarms in Yell and Mossy Hill.
A gas-fired power station has been suggested as a viable alternative to the windfarm by the Danish company BWSC and Shell’s Scandinavian subsidiary Gasnor, and was previously backed by councillor Andrea Manson.
Sustainable Shetland has also backed these plans over the windfarm proposal.
What would you prefer? Have your say in our poll below.
Annette Shewan
Why do you not just give everyone the straighforward chance to either say yes or no to the windfarm proposal? Teh options for two and three are not stated clearly and all they do is confuse and split any opposing votes.
Also, why can we not see the results when you vote as you can in most other polls?
Come on Shetland Times – lets hear what the public have to say.
Mary Mackinnon
Please can we have a straightforward for or against vote regarding proposed windfarm in Shetland. I really feel that Shetlanders have not had fair representation in this matter.
Thank you.
Mary
ian Tinkler
For or against please
James Colin Balfour.
Can we have a vote for/against the wind farm.
Pauline walsh
We need to be able to vote for or against windfarm, please.
The people of Shetland need to have their say.
Pauline
John Pugh
The people who make these decisions to locate monstrosities (wind turbines) in other people’s back yard do not consider the health and upheaval we will have to endure and the ruination of the island and wildlife.
We are opposed to these plans and hope that they will not go ahead. The system will go through the motions to appease the minions but no doubt the decisions have already been made, so I will not hold my breath.
John
David Spence
It is interesting to not know what the costs will be for this project, and the running costs thereafter? I do not think the economics of such a project have been disclosed to the level where it would be under public scrutiny and for many questions to be asked as to the viability and for this project to be economically sustainable for the greater good of Shetland and the people?
Not doubt though, there will be a handful of people who will benefit immensely economically from such a project, and, probably, have put very little of their own money into it?
Also, I expect the costs, like any building work, will escalate well beyond its budget and no doubt, again, the Viking Energy Project will have its hand out towards the Council to ‘ bail it out again ‘ ?
The difficult scenario would be for miillions to be spent until such a time the project is not viable economically to continue, and the SIC wasting millions in the process of burying this massive white elephant.
Lets hope I am proved wrong for the greater good of everybody??
David Lewis
I would rather have a vote for/against the wind farm.
The way that poll is set up will skew the result in favour of the wind farm.
John Tulloch
WIth respect, a “gas-fired power station” on its own is not a possible option since a substantial amount of renewable energy is already installed and it won’t be going away, any time soon.
Renewable energy, of course, must have a grid link and a fully-specified standby (diesel) plant to cover cable failures.
Having two options involving a gas-fired power station obviously splits the vote for that option.
Malcolm Henry Johnson
Firstly: I am really confused about what this poll is supposed to achieve at this stage in the process and why, if it’s important, the Shetland Times didn’t hold it 12 years ago.
It seems that the Shetland public have already voted to reject the Shetland Times’ wording of this question so I think it’s time to withdraw the poll and re-launch a new one. Might I suggest that the ST editors consult John Tulloch and an equally well qualified renewables engineer over the wording of the new question so that the public can vote on TWO clear options that are technically feasible, otherwise, it is a wasted exercise.
However you re-word the question, you need to deny local voters (and local politicians) the “I agree in principal that we need to work towards renewables but I have certain reservations with the current proposals as they stand” meandering, all-things-to-all-people, non-committal, sort of response.
Of course, if the oil companies hadn’t paid the hippies to shut down the nuclear power stations, we wouldn’t be having this debate.*
* Bonus conversation starter.
(Yes, I know that’s a very ling time but the half-life of climate change is even longer.)
David Spence
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t BP consult with Hydro-Electric Board in a possible scheme to pipe directly to the power station gas in which to generate power for the islands, but the Hydro-Electric Board decline to take part in the scheme in the late 1970’s, I think???
It seems this option would still be available to the Hydro-Electric Board with the planned construction of a new power station just north of Lerwick?
Would this now be the case????