October 2024

From the high peaks above Loch Earba, the untamed wilderness of the Ardverikie Estate far below seems an unlikely place to forge a new frontier in heavy industry. Deep in Monarch of the Glen country, this pocket of outstanding natural beauty is famed in hillwalking circles for its glorious unspoilt Read more

A public local inquiry was triggered earlier this year after members of Scottish Borders Council’s Planning and Building Standards Committee formally objected to the proposed 14-turbine Greystone Knowe Wind Farm, earmarked for land around 2km south of Heriot and 2.5km west of Fountainhall. The turbines would have maximum tip heights Read more

The UK Government has announced new proposals aimed at bolstering the renewable energy sector, as a substantial portion of the country’s existing renewable energy assets -particularly onshore wind installations—near the end of their operational lifespan. https://www.energylivenews.com/2024/10/21/government-plans-new-support-for-ageing-wind-farms/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGDluRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHf3tiI6dBQTp_1SHdTtg6vCY1FQ5GDlc91lEtgMjlDVmkmkLklPVWmY3_Q_aem_CzC0c6DDsC1wU4Qc3UcX_A

In 2023, more than 1000 whales, dolphins and porpoises died around the UK’s coastline. This brings the five year total to more than 5000.  https://jasonendfield.medium.com/latest-uk-data-reveals-5000-dead-whales-dolphins-and-porpoises-in-just-5-years-f21ec1b98971  

I have updated my spreadsheet on S36 Scoping Schemes. There are currently 84 schemes at Scoping. I also attach a word document which sorts schemes into council areas, summarises the state of play in each and gives an overall position for Highland, the rest of Scotland and all of Scotland.It Read more

The UK Government has just announced plans to unlock investment opportunities in new, large-scale, energy-storage-capacity projects, the scale of which have not been built in the UK for over four decades. The aim is to create a reliable backup to deliver the full potential of renewable energy – a critical Read more

Windfarms are here to stay and more are coming, Dumfries and Galloway MP John Cooper warned this week. But the Conservative politician is backing the idea of more community benefits from the renewables industry. Mr Cooper spoke in a debate in Westminster which considered upping the amount of community benefit Read more

A multimillionaire Highland MP co-owns a wind turbine firm despite branding wind power an “eco scam” and helping set up an anti-wind farm group, The Ferret can reveal. Angus MacDonald, who won the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire seat for the Liberal Democrats in July, co-owns and directs a company Read more