Wind Energy in Scotland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wind Energy in Scotland - Essay Example Wilson further considers the site near Peebles in the Scottish Borders one of the most powerful in the country with 24 wind turbines, each standing 75 metres high. If all planned wind farms go ahead, Wilson notes, the Borders will be the renewable energy capital of Britain, with more jobs for more people and the ability to help the Government meet its own targets of 10% of electricity being produced from sustainable energy by 2010. The optimism expressed by the energy minister, however, is one-sided and does not take into consideration any of the controversy surrounding use of wind power. Nick Goodall (2002) of the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) expresses his belief that the major issues involved in utilising wind resources are not technical but institutional. 'Planning' and 'Connection' are two areas of principal concern. One potential threat to further development of wind energy is the existence of small but vocal anti-wind farm activist groups. BWEA suggests that configuration of smaller-scale wind farms should be considered along with larger on- and offshore projects. Inclusive working groups should be established to consider the interests of all affected parties. Planning, connection and marketing issues require continued attention. Electricity generation accounts for only 20% of Scotland's energy needs according to the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) (Paterson, 2006), and the apparently simple resolution of using wind sources could take away from research into other renewable resources. However, if hydrogen technology increases sufficiently, IEE suggests that an increased electricity component might be necessary. Global considerations should be addressed when developing wind energy policies. Interactions between different policy instruments should be carefully assessed to avoid potential conflicts and inefficiencies. The decline of oil and gas fields of the UK continental shelf will increase Scotland's dependence on non-indigenous sources; in the longer term, global competition for primary energy will grow as global competitors increase along with gradual depletion of global resources. In use of wind, wave and tidal technologies, wind power represents the most feasible option; however the variability of wind power could create considerable technical challenges for the management of the grid and could necessitate substantial thermal back-up capacity (Paterson, Section 4, pp. 2-3). In Scotland, wind is taken for granted, but it definitely is not available at the same degree of power from day to day. A mix of generation technologies that can be connected at every level of the electricity supply chain needs to be developed. Some of the new technologies, particularly wind, introduce new challenges due to the inherent variability of power supply. In Scotland's government report on strategies for developing a renewable energy program (Choosing, 2005), rhetoric throughout the report overwhelms the