While I appreciate your concerns on this issue, I do not believe that more large-scale onshore wind developments are right for Scotland. However, it is important that Scotland maintains its position as a global leader in offshore wind and I support the development of wind projects in the remote islands of Scotland, where they will directly benefit local communities.
I am therefore pleased that the UK Government announced in the Clean Growth Strategy that it would make up to £557 million of annual funding available for less established technologies including onshore wind projects on remote islands that directly benefit local communities. I understand that the next funding auction is planned for spring 2019.
My MSP colleagues and I agree that energy policy in Scotland should be focused on outcomes rather than the means by which objectives are met. Therefore, once the UK has left the European Union, an energy policy can be formed based not on the way energy is generated but on the ends that are desired: reliable and affordable energy, seizing the industrial opportunity that new technology presents and meeting our global commitments on climate change.
Last updated January 2020