CLAIRE Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, makes misleading
claims about the use of renewable electricity generation (Letters, December
3).
She claims that reliable and secure electricity generation from ageing
fossil-fuelled generators can easily be directly replaced by “cheap”
renewables, mostly wind and solar. Both are weather dependent and hence
unreliable and unsecure. Why do they still require subsidies if they are
cheap? There are “hidden” costs in additional infrastructure and backup on
standby. Any cost benefit is not reflected in my electricity bills, which
have increased significantly in line with the deployment of renewables.The
Institute of Engineers in Scotland has expressed serious concerns about the
increasing reliance on intermittent and volatile renewables generation on
grid stability.
GM Lindsay,
Whinfield Gardens, Kinross.
CLAIRE Mack did not point out that the pursuit of renewable energy will
result in decades of austerity for Scottish energy consumers.
The phase out of 150 TWhours of gas will add £18 billion a year to consumer
bills, there will be a capital debt of around £120bn to be paid to install
the requisite number of wind turbines and a £7 bn a year Constraint Payment
bill as the overland and sub-sea interconnectors are inadequate to transfer
the excess generation. Can Claire Mack explain whether public services can
afford an annual £6bn hit to their budgets or how the 35 per cent of Scots
in fuel poverty can meet an additional £32,500 a year demand on their
household bills ?
However, as 129 MSPs have failed to provide an answer it can be assumed
there will be complete silence from Scottish Renewables.
Ian Moir,
79 Queen Street,
Castle Douglas.
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