Red Face for Salmond As Green Energy Claim Proves Unfounded
By PETER MACMAHON SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT EDITOR
AN ATTEMPT by Alex Salmond to claim renewable energy played a larger part than nuclear power in generating Scotland’s electricity backfired last night.
The First Minister used the opening of a wind farm to declare yesterday “green energy day”, claiming that Scotland could now produce more power from renewable sources than from nuclear stations.
However, Mr Salmond’s claim was undermined when the Scottish Government was forced to admit the country’s two nuclear power stations provided double the amount of energy produced by wind farms and hydroelectric plants.
Mr Salmond made his claim as he visited the Crystal Rig wind farm near Dunbar, East Lothian, where he opened an extension to the existing plant.
He said Scotland had reached “a tangible milestone” in the journey towards a “clean, green future”.
He said that, in stark contrast, the UK government had “already made up its mind to go for a new generation of nuclear power stations”.
The First Minister added: “Scotland neither wants nor needs new nuclear power stations.
“As green energy day demonstrates, we can have secure energy supplies without landing future generations of Scots with the burden of toxic radioactive waste.” However, an examination of Mr Salmond’s claims showed that his figures were based on nuclear and renewable energy plants’ capacity.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government admitted energy industry statistics showed nuclear power stations worked at around 80 per cent of capacity and renewable plants at around 30 per cent.
As a consequence, he admitted, around two-fifths of Scotland’s electricity comes from the two nuclear power stations – Hunterston B in Ayrshire and Torness in East Lothian – and a fifth from all renewables.
Iain Gray, Labour’s energy spokesman, questioned the SNP’s green credentials, revealing that applications for onshore wind power projects with a generating capacity of 4,787MW were waiting to be processed. Mr Gray said that of the 2,500MW of renewable generating capacity, the SNP was responsible for “precisely none”. He added: “Scotland cannot be powered by Alex Salmond’s bluster alone.”
Nicol Stephen, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, also attacked the Scottish Government’s refusal to sanction more wind farms and the First Minister’s recent praise for the coal industry.
He said: “The SNP needs to learn the lesson – neither Scotland nor the planet should aim to rely on finite fossil fuels. Ministers may pose for photographs opening wind farms and boast about green energy.
“But they have party policy to oppose wind farms.”
(c) 2007 Scotsman, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.