Beauly-Denny line essential – ruling

Holyrood committee says that Government must be ‘bold’ and approve upgrade

By Cameron Brooks

Published:

A Holyrood committee has ruled that controversial plans to upgrade a power line that winds through the Highlands is “essential” to unlock Scotland’s renewable power potential.

The economy, energy and tourism committee says the SNP Government must be “bold” and approve plans to upgrade the Beauly to Denny cable so electricity generated from wind and tidal power is connected to the national grid.

A report published yesterday calls on the Scottish Government to “speed up” procedures to give consent to new, large-scale electricity infrastructure developments to also help the country meet climate change targets.

The news has been welcomed by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) and Labour Party energy spokesman Lewis Macdonald.

They are desperate for the Scottish Government to announce the findings of a public local inquiry into the £700million Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) power line proposals as soon as possible.

SCDI energy spokesman Gareth Williams said: “Without this new connection, there will be severe constraints on renewables development and the loss of millions of pounds of investment and the opportunity to create thousands of new jobs across the region.”

Mr Macdonald, Aberdeen Central MSP, said the committee’s recommendation to speed up the decision-making process was in response to the SNP’s rejection of 40% of renewable energy projects such as a windfarm on Lewis last year.

But campaigners opposed to the power line, which could see 600 pylons build through 136 miles of countryside between Beauly west of Inverness and Denny west of Falkirk, said they are “dismayed” over the committee’s enthusiasm to the project.

Sue Hopkinson of the Highlands Before Pylons pressure group said: “The politicians are ignoring widespread public distrust for a scheme which involves a massive carbon footprint to transmit energy to England where a new generation of nuclear generators are scheduled to meet future energy requirements south of the border.

“We have argued vigorously for a subsea grid to meet Scotland's transmission needs and are supported by the National Grid, the Crown Estates and many others.”

The 126-page report sets out the committee’s vision for the future of energy production and use in Scotland.

It wants an extension to the life of existing nuclear power plants, investment in renewable energy and cleaner coal-fired power stations, instead of developing any new nuclear stations in Scotland.

It also recommends that major companies in the oil and gas sector like BP and Shell should be encouraged to diversify into marine energy production, particularly offshore wind.

The report also urges the Scottish Government to consider investing between £100million and £170million annually over the next 10 years to reduce energy demand and fuel poverty across Scotland.