MSP questions role of ‘over-reliance’ on wind farms in Highlands power black-out

MSP Alex Johnstone (Conservative, North East Scotland) has this week tabled
question for answer in the Scottish parliament on causes of last month’s
power black-out which cut off electricity to 200,000 homes in the Highlands
and Islands.

His question asks ask the Scottish Government ‘whether it has undertaken
any further investigation into whether an over reliance on wind turbines as
a source of electricity played a role in the grid failure on 16 April 2014
. (S4O-03258)

Last month, Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney said that the relay
station at Knocknagael, a recently redeveloped substation at Essich, had
“malfunctioned” and that the circuit-breakers which had detected faults on
the lines then ‘opened to prevent further damage to the network’.

Swinney also told MSPs that Perth-based Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE)
was carrying out a ‘review’ of operations and was confident that such
failures would not occur again.