IN the early evening of last Saturday, our home was suddenly cast into
total darkness.
That is quite an alarming event in the middle of winter, all the more so
because of its rarity, given the security in supply to which we have become
accustomed in this country over many years. Frantic searching for torches,
batteries, and candles ensued. Fortunately the interruption was short-lived
and normal service was resumed. Inquiry revealed that the cause on this
occasion was damage to a local cable cause by a third party.
Renewable energy is of course, currently very much in the news. One need go
no further than read your newspaper ( “Shetland wind farm gets go ahead”,
The Herald, February 10) and Letters, February 10). The Scottish Government
has declared the objective of all electricity being generated from
renewables by 2020, and onshore wind turbines will play a prominent part in
attempting to secure the implementation of that plan.
There is, however, an important element in respect of that plan in relation
to wind turbines, apart from its aesthetic and environmental implications,
and that relates to its likely efficacy. Let us consider that Torness power
Station has an estimated decommissioning year of 2023, as has Hunterston B.
The future of Longannet power station, which has been operating since 1972,
a long working life already, was thrown into question last year, because of
transmission charges paid to connect to the main grid network. The eventual
non- availability of these large generators of electricity in Scotland is
not a matter of passing consequence. It is ,in fact, a matter of
considerable moment to the future well-being of our country.
From the 2020s onwards we are expected to rely on renewables, including in
large part wind turbines, to meet our industrial, commercial, and domestic
needs for electricity. One is justified in posing the following questions:
what happens when the wind does not blow? What happens when the wind blows
too strongly, beyond the coping capacity of such equipment?
Turning back to my experience of the weekend, my concern is that events
will show that the answer is not ” blowin’ in the wind” and that we will be
faced, in due course, with increased levels of power interruption, with the
adverse effects arising therefrom. Are we really sleepwalking into periods
of darkness?
Ian W Thomson,
38 Kirkintilloch Road,
Lenzie.
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