Mark Latham, Deputy Business Editor
One of Scotland’s leading economists has slammed a report on energy
security from the Scottish Parliament’s Economy and Energy Committee,
claiming that the committee had been “hijacked” by the pro-wind farm lobby
and that the report “ignores the serious supply issues which will be caused
by the forthcoming closure of the Longannet power station”.
The report on “Ensuring Scotland’s Energy Security” was published last
month and follows a six-month parliamentary inquiry.
Branding the report as “very poor”, Inverness-based economist Tony Mackay
said the report concentrated almost exclusively on electricity supply
rather than the published objective of energy security while taking no
account of the fact that electricity only accounts for around 20 per cent
of energy consumption in Scotland.
“Electricity supply is very important to the Scottish economy but oil and
gas are much more important,” said Mackay in his monthly report on the
Scottish economy published Friday.
“Oil and gas production has declined substantially in recent years, raising
serious issues about future security of supply.”
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Mackay claims that the committee’s choice of witnesses who provided oral
evidence were “almost entirely” drawn from pro-wind farm bodies.
Mackay also says that forthcoming closure of Scotland’s two nuclear power
stations at Hunterston and Torness are dealt with “very poorly” in the report.
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