Western Isles SNP MSP, Alasdair Allan, yesterday met with energy regulators, Ofgem, where he raised the issue of delays in connecting community renewable projects in Uist and elsewhere to the National Grid.

Alasdair Allan met in the Scottish Parliament with Charles Gallacher, the Scotland Director of Ofgem.

Dr Allan commented:

“I have in recent days contacted both Stòras Uibhist and a number of other community organisations in the Western Isles who had understood from Scottish and Southern Energy that they could expect their community renewable projects to be connected to the grid in accordance with a speedy timetable. As is now well known these organisations are all highly disappointed to be facing delays.

“I raised this subject with Mr Gallacher and he confirmed that Ofgem had been in talks with SSE about this subject. I have also sought a meeting with SSE themselves. There is no doubt about the concern which many communities now have about their projects and SSE has a duty to explain themselves.

“I also took the opportunity to press Ofgem about the issue of transmission charges. As things stand, essentially the further a renewable project is from London the higher the transmission charges are. This system of charging may have made sense at a time when power stations were deliberately concentrated around urban areas but it now discriminates against the very parts of the country where communities are exploiting wind and wave power.”