Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The Lewis Wind Farm
Renewable Energy and the Sustainability of Scotland’s Fragile Rural Communities
The Lewis Economy The fragility of the Lewis economy is reflected in
all key indicators: Population and age, in-migration, unemployment, income, narrowness of industrial base & GVA
Lewis requires sustainable economic development
Refusal of the wind farm application will create a precedent to inhibit important development and sterilize large areas of Scotland – often the most economically fragile parts of the country
The Opportunity: Renewable Energy and Employment Scotland possesses 25% of the total European
wind energy resource In Scotland, 2,600 people are currently employed
across all renewables sectors – wind energy alone employs 73,800 people in Germany, 35,000 in Spain & 21,000 in Denmark
Scotland, a small open economy on the periphery of Europe, simply cannot afford to continue disregarding its comparative advantages
Lewis Wind Farm Represents a major employment opportunity for a
fragile island economy Crucially, in providing clean energy, the project
will make a substantial contribution to tackling climate change
STUC tends to treat developer claims of employment creation with a healthy scepticism – however, we are convinced by the quality of the Lewis Windpower project
The Economic Contribution Manufacturing & Construction phase:
Repower and construction consortium MoUs; Over 50 local fabrication jobs; 44 FTE jobs in Scotland during construction; 170 FTE jobs in Outer Hebrides
Operational phase: 40 local operation & maintenance jobs; 30 local supply chain jobs; Rents, crofter payments and community fund contributions, totalling over £5m per annum; 15% community ownership offered
Biodiversity protection and economic needs Services, manufacturing and sustainable growth
in a peripheral economy Urgent need for green electricity on a large-scale Trade-offs between economic development and
environmental imperatives are inevitable and must be addressed in an honest fashion – but finding a workable balance is possible
A new, mature approach to Better Regulation is desperately required
