Political leader uses Viking celebration speech to call for fairer energy system

The SIC's political leader Emma Macdonald.

The SIC’s political leader has used her Viking celebration speech to call for change and a fairer system.

Emma Macdonald was among the dignitaries attending last night’s controversial celebration dinner, which was followed-up today with a ceremony at Lerwick Town Hall.

The events have attracted criticism with more than 600 people sharing a petition urging councillors not to attend the event as it has caused “significant division in our community”.

The project has provoked significant opposition throughout its history.

And the latest revelations that SSE received more than £2m to keep the Viking Energy turbines switched off have only served to inflame tensions.

But the councillors who attended the event said it was important to be able to “engage” with SSE and industry leaders about community concerns.

Mrs Macdonald said she did not normally share here speeches with the media, but decided to do so on this occasion as she felt it was important to show the ” balance I am trying to strike”.

Here is the full speech: 

“Today is a big day for Shetland, Scotland and the UK, and of course for SSE. 

“Viking will be one of the UK’s most productive windfarms, with 450MW of clean power flowing from our islands to power households and businesses throughout Scotland and the UK.

“To put that number into perspective, it’s ten times what we ourselves need here in Shetland. It could power up to half a million homes.

“The country needed Viking, and SSE and Shetland has delivered it.

“Shetland has long welcomed energy development and energy developers, and we can be proud of that. We have long been a major contributor to Scotland and the UK’s energy mix, and we can be proud of that too.

“However, as much as we should, and do, welcome today’s opening, we must also learn lessons and ensure that future developments, particularly those taking place offshore, are structured in a way that is fair for our community.

“Here in Shetland we have the most wind. That means we make the most energy.

“But there’s a flip side, because these cold winds also mean we need the most heating.

“And therefore we have the highest bills, and the highest rates of fuel poverty.

“The average cost of heating a home in Shetland is about £4,000, almost double the cost of heating the same home on the mainland.

“A lot of people on our islands are asking ‘what’s in it for me?’, and frankly it can be a difficult question to answer.

“It’s very difficult for local people to look at a windfarm which produces cheaper power for homes far away, when the homes right next to it pay so much.

“That is why we have been active in Edinburgh and London with our Energising Shetland campaign.

“We need to shift the balance of fairness.

“We are not asking for everything, but we are making clear that we believe the rules need to change so that
the social and economic benefits to the host communities match the social and economic costs imposed on those host communities.

“This would be good for us, of course, but it would also be good for Scotland, and for the UK, because, to be frank, continued local opposition to wind development will eventually bring wind development to a halt. 

“That would be bad for all of us, because renewable energy represents by far the largest part of our economic future. 

“But if you want to change the rules, you must be in the room.

“That’s why I’m glad to be here today to celebrate this incredible achievement with SSE.

“That’s why I’ll always engage with developers as well as with communities, and with governments
in Edinburgh and London.

“Indeed, my weekend was spent ‘in the room’ in Edinburgh, engaging with a huge number of decision-makers at the governing SNP’s annual conference.

“We discussed the unfairness which local people feel, and I think we made tangible progress in expanding the awareness, amongst those in government, of the problems we face here.

“Today is a day for celebration. Shetland, again, is at the forefront of our energy future.

“But tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, are days for
reflection, for discussion, for negotiation. 

“Renewables are the UK’s future, and Scotland’s future. But they’re Shetland’s future
too. 

“To SSE, I say thank you for working with us.

“We look forward to decades of shared benefits.

“To governments in Edinburgh and in London, I say we’re on your side, we’ve got the same shared ambition, and we’re ready to lead the way. But do it with us. Don’t do it to us.”