Hydropower operators, in particular
Scottish and Southern Energy were active in
making representations to the last Scottish Executive and sought
assurances from the Scottish Executive that there
should be no losses in their electricity generation in order
to meet WFD aspirations. SSE used the argument that losses in hydro production, being a renewable energy source, would have been contrary to the Scottish Executive's other policy of increasing renewable energy. Rhona Brankin, the former
Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development
told SSE that the Scottish Executive wanted to “ensure
that we strike the correct balance between the
protection of the water environment and consideration
of the economic needs of industries such as your
own.”
In 2006 SSE worked with Scottish
Executive officials and with SEPA in order to
devise “projects
designed to enable" the Scottish Executive "to
deliver environmental improvements whilst supporting our
targets for the generation of renewable energy”.
Accordingly, Scottish and Southern Energy
proposed three projects for inclusion in the
first River
Basin Management Plan. These were apparently accepted "in principle" by SEPA. They are:
1) Restore some flow to the Garry
2) Restore some flow to a short length of a tributary of
the Conon
3) Restore some flow to a tributary on the Moriston
All three proposals only involve trading compensation
flows and require no loss of electricity generation.
The details of the Garry proposal were presented to us by SEPA in autumn 2006. It was explained that these three proposals would amount to the three main projects concerning hydropower in Scotland included in the first Plan. SEPA explained that these proposals accorded with their dual wishes to see significant environmental benefits while maintaining renewable energy output.
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