Tough balance
Paul de Leeuw makes makes an important point about the need to increase infrastructure investment in the energy sector (Perspective, 7 February). He is certainly correct to say that we require to strike the difficult balance between affordability, sustainability and doability and that the UK will require carefully managed and coordinated transition plans. It would be much better if an independent energy body was established to make decisions on what generation sources will best meet the criteria of affordability etc.
In my opinion infrastructure investment in energy should be by government, which would make the cost plus borrowing repayments much less, almost 50 per cent less in some cases, which would help meet the affordability requirement.
Offshore wind is put forward as a way to reach net zero in the energy sector but the evidence is not convincing. For example, the current Contract for Difference (CfD) Strike price for the SSE’s Beatrice Field offshore wind farm is £186.32 per MWh. By comparison the CfD Strike price for Hinkley Point C Nuclear plant is £128.09 per MWh.
What is needed is the whole system cost for each renewable scheme which takes into account the intermittent supply of these plants and what back-up is needed to balance the grid. Without transparency in respect of all these issues it will be difficult to make sound decisions.
Charles Scott, Edinburgh
Sunny outlook
Dr Richard Dixon (Scotsman, 7 February) says fossil fuels are the main contributor to climate change. Has he considered the possibility that our planet’s shifting axis around the Sun could be a contributor? After all, that produces a big difference between summer and winter, so any minor variation would also surely change our climate? Just a wild guess, of course… probably not even worth considering.
Malcolm Parkin, Kinnesswood, Perth and Kinross
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