Scottish plans for cheap, green, renewable energy are being stymied by growing armies of 'NIMBYs'.
While 48% of the scottish population believe that Scotland's energy should only come from renewable sources, the number of groups objecting to plans for wind farms, wave turbines and waste-to-energy plants is projecting a different image.
There are more than 12 separate pressure groups protesting against the development of renewable energy sources across Scotland and that number rises to over 100 throughout the whole of the UK. Opposition groups claim potential developments on their doorstep will detract from the natural beauty of the landscape and harm local economies driven by tourism.
"I don't believe nimbyism has anything to do with it," said Gillian Bishop, a spokesperson for the pressure group 'Views of Scotland'. "Opposition to wind power comes from the feeling that it doesn't provide enough electricity and doesn't stop enough emissions from coal-fired power stations to justify damaging the environment. Getting 50% of our power from renewable sources is a ludicrous target - real pie-in-the-sky stuff."
Despite landfill taxes rising by £8 per tonne per year to encourage alternative solutions, numerous groups have sprung up against the burning of waste to create cheap energy.
"Opposition to wind farms and waste-to-energy plants is in danger of undermining what are ambitious government targets for renewable energy," said Professor Andrew Wheatley, of Loughborough University. "If we were to rely on wind power alone something like three new windfarms a day would have to be built. Waste-to-energy plants definitely have their part to play in the provision of renewable energy, but there's a lot of education to be done in terms of letting the public know how they operate."
Later this year proposals for a state-of-the-art recycling village, incorporating the latest waste-to-energy technology, are to be unveiled for a new development south of Glasgow in East Renfrewshire. The developers claim the site would be among the most modern and efficient in Europe, create numerous jobs and could provide enough cheap power for thousands of surrounding homes and businesses. Although full details have yet to be released, opponents have already started attacking the idea.
The Westminster government is so concerned about the scale of opposition to renewable energy developments that, in the wake of The Energy White Paper and the Energy Review of 2006 which pledged to increase the development of renewable energy technologies to provide 20% of total electricity supply by 2020, they have started a major national programme to examine the fears of objectors.
The Beyond Nimbyism project is funded by the Government's Economic and Social Research Council and is a multi-disciplinary investigation into the public's views. "Generally, objectors would say they were all for renewable energy but that 'this is the wrong place'. It might sound like a nimby response but there are often genuine concerns about viability. They honestly didn't think it was the best place," said Judith Parks, research associate with the Sustainable Cities Institute of Northumbria University, who has studied several protests.
And Green MSP Patrick Harvie said waste-to-energy plants, along with wave and solar power, had a key role to play in the future. "We should be thinking about waste material as a resource rather than a problem to be got rid of," he said. "No matter how you dispose of it there will be some sort of environmental impact so the key to the argument is about reducing the amount of material that goes through the product chain. What can be recycled should be recycled and we should try and extract the maximum benefit from what's left."
Projects that have been thwarted by protest :
Peterhead, Aberdeenshire
Proposals for a waste-to-energy plant to power 10,000 homes and businesses have attracted 5,000 objections.
Pairc, south-east Lewis
Plans to build 26 turbines to power 115,000 homes have been opposed by groups such as Moorland without Turbines.
Ardnamurchan and Morvern, Lochaber
Edinburgh-based Wind Energy dropped a scheme to build up to 500 turbines after resistance from campaign group Fairwind.
Perth
Around 250 residents of Perth have signed a petition against a £100m waste-to-heat plant aimed at turning 90,000 tonnes of rubbish a year into power for up to 5,500 homes.
Auchtermuchty, Fife
Plans to build five turbines to power 5,000 homes were abandoned after complaints from local campaigners.
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Pilot Tidal Energy Scheme for North Wales Coast
Conwy County Borough Council has backed plans for a pilot tidal energy scheme off the North Wales Coast.
The £150 million scheme at Llanddulas in North Wales would provide a testing facility for turbine designers and manufacturers, and assess the environmental impact of turbines.
The project was given approval by the council as part of a strategic regeneration strategy for the Conwy coast, prepared by consultant Capita Symonds.
Paul Terry, Capita Symonds, said: "Tidal power will play a key role in providing a sustainable energy source for future generations. The North Wales coast is an ideal place for such a scheme as it’s blessed with a good tidal range and suitable ocean depth." He added that the project could also help protect the coast from rising sea levels, storm surges and coastal erosion.
The regeneration strategy also calls for seven new visitor centres costing £30m should be built at key locations stretching from Conwy to Rhuddlan. But North Wales Tourism chairman Chris Jackson raised doubts over whether the proposals could realistically be funded in the current economic climate. The council’s approval now means that Capita Symonds will seek funding for feasibility studies and investigations to develop a business case for the scheme.
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Micro-generation forms key part of Government's vision.
Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, has launched a consultation on the Government's strategy to boost energy self-sufficiency in communities.
The public debate about microgeneration will look at ways to ensure the quality of generating technology and its installation, how to improve available products, and how to develop the microgeneration supply chain while providing more accessible advice.
The consultation follows last week's news that the Government is to overturn a ban on councils selling "green" electricity back to the national grid by the end of the year.
Mr Barker said“I want to see more homes, communities and businesses generating their own energy. We can literally bring power back to the people.Microgeneration is a key part of this vision.
“By becoming more self sufficient we can create sustainable local energy economies. People and communities can save money on their fuel bills at the same time as generating an income and cutting carbon. I want to work with industry to overcome the challenges it is facing. Together we will create a marketplace for jobs and prosperity alongside products and advice which people trust.”
More information can be found on the Microgeneration Strategy consultation web page
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Green policies could hit UK manufacturing hardest.
A report from the think-tank Civitas warns that the increasing cost of energy, which has been driven up as a result of green policies could hit the UK's manufacturing sector - just as the country needs industry to help boost the economy.
The report said efforts to tackle climate change through cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing renewable energy generation could significantly push up energy bills for business.Extra costs are put on energy from policies including the EU's emission trading scheme, the renewables obligation to boost investment in technology such as wind power, and the climate change levy which taxes energy use in businesses and the public sector. Also, the Labour Government's climate change strategy had already added an extra 14% on homeowners' electricity bills and 21% on business bills.
Last year's renewable energy strategy could have created "surcharges" of up to 70% for businesses, and 33% for domestic customers by 2020, the report from Civitas claimed. The study warns the new coalition Government's energy policy could be as damaging to manufacturing industry as the previous administration.
The review by economist Ruth Lea and Jeremy Nicholson, director of lobbyists the Energy Intensive Users Group, said the UK was badly placed to meet its commitments to boost renewables as it was starting from such a low base. Even without the extra costs imposed to pay for climate change policies, Britain has high industrial electricity prices, which threaten its competitiveness.
Ms Lea said: "The economy desperately needs a competitive and thriving manufacturing sector if it is to prosper. Competitive energy prices are vital to the success of manufacturers, especially energy intensive users.Government energy policies are, however, remorselessly driving up energy costs thus risking the 'migration' of manufacturing plants to economies where the costs are lower."
