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Holyrood ignored power line evidence, claim critics

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Published Date: 04 July 2009
By JOHN ROSS
AN INFLUENTIAL Holyrood committee has been accused of ignoring evidence against controversial plans for a power line upgrade through Scotland.
The Scottish Parliament's economy, energy and tourism committee this week called for a speedy approval of the Beauly to Denny line despite nearly 20,000 objections.

Now the Mountaineering Council of Scotland says the committee's stance "clearly ignores" the evidence provided to the long-running planning inquiry into the proposals.

Chris Townsend, president of the group which represents 10,500 hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers, said: "

The natural environment should not be sacrificed for energy transmission.

"The committee has not considered alternatives to the power line and assumes it is the only means of bringing power south, which is simply untrue."

A number of campaign groups have also attacked the committee's stance, but CBI Scotland welcomed support for the power line upgrade.

Developers say the upgrade is needed to carry renewable energy from schemes in the Highlands and Islands.

A report from the public inquiry is with Scottish ministers.





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  • Last Updated: 03 July 2009 9:55 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Scottish National Party
 
1

S MacLeod,

Inverness 04/07/2009 03:35:24
If this gets passed after the public inquiry which has been a sham and an assault on the democratic rights of the public then the MSP's concerned should be SACKED!

The amount of tricks played upon the public alone whilst this inquiry has been collecting evidence is sickening, as has been the attitude towards genuine people with real evidence to present to the inquiry.

This inquiry still needs further discussion due not only to environmental factors but also health issues.

If this gets approved "as is", like those who have "apparently" echoed that it should then those who approve it are not fit for office.

The list of people on this committee:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/eet/membership.htm

A "Public Inquiry" Does not mean a "Private Inquiry", and don't even try to tell the public that the inquiry has been fair and everyone has been listened to because that would make you LIARS!
2

nabodican,

Newton Stewart 04/07/2009 04:33:27
The only people that want the power line are those in the power industry who want to milk the subsidy cash cow.
The electricity is not needed and neither is the power line.
3

fred bloggs,

Edinburgh 04/07/2009 07:29:31
Green power - 1
Nimbys - 0
4

n/,

Perth 04/07/2009 08:09:54
'Holyrood ignored power line evidence, claim critics'

Claim???????? IT is no claim it is FACT.
Important evidence WAS both disallowed and ignored not least the ALTERNATIVES from Sir Donald Miller former chair of Scottish Power. Given the importance of this decision nothing should have been excluded,everything should have been on the table for discussion.

The following in a letter to the Herald.

'Pylons would be an act of vandalism

We have all been witnesses or advisers at the public inquiry into the proposed new 200ft electricity pylons running from Beauly near Inverness to the outskirts of Glasgow. This has involved months of intensive work on our part analysing the relevant information, including much that has become available only recently.

We have been led to draw the following conclusions.


The existing grid, with modifications, provides sufficient capacity for realistic forecasts of renewable generation in the Highlands over the next 15 years and certainly far more than is required to meet the Scottish Executive targets. There is, thus, no technical case for the line.

The cost far outweighs any financial benefits to the consumer: there is no economic case for the line.
If increased grid capacity is ever needed, a less costly and less damaging east coast route exists.

Constructing the line would, therefore, be an entirely unnecessary act of vandalism. The structure of the inquiry, in which important evidence that could not have been available by the start of the inquiry last January was excluded by the reporters, is not such as to expose all the facts.

Professor Andrew Bain (former board member, Scottish Enterprise), Sir Donald Miller (former chairman of Scottish-Power) and Colin Gibson (former director, National Grid Group),1 Stafford Street, Helensburgh.
fin.


As for 'Developers say the upgrade is needed to carry renewable energy from schemes in the Highlands and Islands.' Well it
5

n/,

Perth 04/07/2009 08:12:26
cont. As for 'Developers say the upgrade is needed to carry renewable energy from schemes in the Highlands and Islands.' Well it would be fairly unusual if those proposing a development didn't support that development don't you???????!!!!!!!!

6

n/,

Perth 04/07/2009 08:18:45
........and as the story appeared in the 'Scotsman'

'Cheaper and better' alternative to Beauly-Denny power line proposed'
Published Date: 24 February 2009
By Jenny Haworth
THE former chairman of ScottishPower has called for SNP ministers to consider an alternative to the controversial proposals to upgrade a power line from Beauly to Denny.
Sir Donald Miller, who spent 25 years as director of engineering, and ten years as chairman of ScottishPower, said he has drawn up an alternative which would be cheaper, and far less controversial.

Instead of replacing the power lines through the middle of the country, it would involve upgrading the east coast transmission lines.

Scottish & Southern Energy's proposals for the upgrade to the Beauly to Denny transmission line have attracted more than 17,000 objections.

The 137-mile, 400,000-volt overhead electricity transmission line, which would replace the 132,000-volt line between Beauly, west of Inverness, and Denny, west of Falkirk, has been the subject of a £10 million public inquiry, the findings of which have been passed to the Scottish Government.

The proposers say the line is crucial to take power from green energy developments in the Highlands and Islands to markets in the south.

However, opponents say it would involve some 600 huge pylons – each 200ft high – and these would ruin the natural beauty of the Great Glen.

Over the past two months, Sir Donald has prepared his alternative vision for the improvement of the transmission network, which he posted to Jim Mather, the energy minister, yesterday morning.

Instead of replacing power lines, it would mainly make use of existing cables around the east coast, which could be upgraded to increase their capacity. Only one new power line would have to be built, from Beauly to Keith, and this would run mainly through farmland, rather than sensitive areas. Sir Donald calculated his alternative could cost about 10 per cent less, at about £300 million.
7

n/,

Perth 04/07/2009 08:20:02
"It does exactly what they are trying to do with the Beauly-Denny line," he said.

"It avoids running this rather large transmission line along what is the main access route to the Highlands. That's not insignificant.

"But they seem to be so hellbent on the Beauly to Denny line and not willing to consider anything else. I can't understand it. It's amazing to me."

Helen McDade, head of policy at the John Muir Trust, a charity that campaigns to protect wild places in Scotland, said she supported Sir Donald's proposals.

"Although it would need some new line, it would not be nearly as expensive or damaging as Beauly-Denny," she said.

"Most of that would go through farmland, which would be better than going through the national park."

Ms McDade believes there has not been a strategic analysis of the best option for upgrading the transmission network, and thinks it is now essential that the Scottish Government considers Sir Donald's proposals, even though they have been submitted after the public inquiry into the Beauly-Denny line closed.

However, Jason Ormiston, the chief executive of Scottish Renewables, said:

"If Scotland wants to make a full contribution to tackling climate change then there will be a need for both Beauly-Denny and any east coast reinforcements."

A spokeswoman for Scottish & Southern Energy said: "The report has been put in to Scottish ministers now. We always said that the forum for any arguments around Beauly-Denny was the public inquiry."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We have yet to receive any correspondence from Sir Donald Miller. The report of the public local inquiry into the upgrade of the Beauly-Denny line is being considered by ministers, who will take a final decision later this year."


8

Hagbard Celine,

Atlantis 04/07/2009 08:54:13
Why are the Mountaineering Council bothered? You can't see the existing power line from the hills at Drumochter and the new bigger one won't be visible from there either. You can't see the railway unless there's a train on it. However, you can see and hear the A9.

Has anyone suggested ploughing up the A9 and sending all the traffic round the alternative route via Aberdeen?
9

Dr. James Wilkie,

Helensburgh 04/07/2009 10:04:44
#8: Neither the railway nor the A9 is 200 feet high. This project would have a devastating visual effect on the Great Glen - one of Scotland's prime tourist areas - and it would not do much for rural Perthshire either. The height of the pylons would make it a visual intrusion over a far wider area than the present line. I am not aware of the technical reasons why such a height is considered necessary. As a mountaineer and a life member of the John Muir Trust I am opposed to this scheme per se, but quite generally I fail to see the necessity for it. The new Glendoe hydro scheme at Fort Augustus has been beautifully engineered to be non-intrusive. Why ruin the effect with this monstrous vandalism of the landscape, which is the prime selling point for Scotland's largest industry?
10

fred bloggs,

Edinburgh 04/07/2009 11:22:58
Sir Donald's cunning plan:

'Instead of replacing power lines, it would mainly make use of existing cables around the east coast, which could be upgraded to increase their capacity.'

- but that is exactly what the Beauly-Denny plan involves i.e. upgrading the line to a higher capacity, except that is much shorter than an east coast route that would increase transmission losses.

The higher capacity is achieved by going to a higher voltage which necessitates higher but fewer pylons.
11

n/,

Perth 04/07/2009 14:01:09
#11 As expected.............fred bloggs with his usual ill informed comments.

You were at the public inquiry were you? Read all the relevant documents have you?
For the record the B/D OHTL proposal is not an upgrade.This may be what the developer wishes everyone to believe,but as was stated on numerous occasion by those of real qualification such grid controllers, it ain't the case.

I would therefore ask you fred, to go read all that was submitted to the inquiry, and also note the costings given by Sir Donald, before making any further ill informed and technically unqualified statements.
12

fred bloggs,

Edinburgh 04/07/2009 17:41:17
12. n/:

So you claim it's not an upgrade. If it's not an upgrade what is it? Explain yourself.

Everyone else, even the antis, refers to it as an upgrade.
13

fred bloggs,

Edinburgh 04/07/2009 17:44:22
PS: googling: beauly denny "not an upgrade" gives only one hit - this thread!
14

S MacLeod,

Inverness 04/07/2009 18:44:45
fred bloggs,

There is a difference between re-stringing existing pylons to cope with a higher capacity

compared to

building a new line of larger pylons.

Do you understand the difference?

The word "upgrading" can be used in both situations, hence the confusion, but when it is applied with some technical background knowledge it can be used as a con.

you siad:

- but that is exactly what the Beauly-Denny plan involves

RUBBISH.

"upgrading the line to a higher capacity,",

No, it is about building a massive new line, which does not have to be built, and should not be built.

Did it not occur to you that it may be the case that the east coast lines "can" be re-strung to accommodate heavier cable due to it being able to take a stage higher spec cable?

whereas the line we are talking about has already been upgraded, hence they want to build a separate pylon line much larger than the last line.

It is rather like the difference between re-tarring a road compared to building a motorway along side a road.

A lot of this comes down to management using marketing thinking the public are idiots.
15

El Franko,

04/07/2009 21:01:21
I can well believe the report. Objections, and objective observations, are to be brushed aside when you are driven by the stalinist greenie ideology. In a distant, poorer future, our descendants will marvel at it all. The pylons will be rusting by then, perhaps with some adapted to form the frames of rude shelters.
16

fred bloggs,

Edinburgh 05/07/2009 09:26:32
A 400kV upgrade to the east coast line is already proposed in addition to the Beauly-Denny upgrade:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/01/07093039/0

It would seem the objectors are out of touch...
17

S MacLeod,

Inverness 05/07/2009 12:39:21
As expected.............fred bloggs with his usual ill informed comments.

 

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