Shetland windfarm - Viking Energy

[ArabiaTerra]

Apparently prices are affected by up to 14km away:-

 

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/apr/08/windfarms-reduce-house-prices-compensation

 

Yes, I can just imagine the conversation with my nephew now. In about 20 years time.

 

" Yes son, we could have done something. We could have stopped global Warming before it ran over all the natural tipping  points and spiralled out of control. But you know, that would have changed the valuation on Grannies house from £200,000 to £185,000, and, obviously, that would have been totally unacceptable"

[Ghostrider]

^ "Yes, son. We had music and arts venues, several leisure centres, old peoples homes, a museum and whatnot. Then we took a 45% share in this windfarm which got built, eventually. But it ran massively over schedule and budget because it was almost impossible to work on most of the site for more than 4 or 5 months each year, the additional costs were horrendous, not to mention the loan conditions meant we were having to find money to pay the lenders back for years before we produced any electricity. Anyhow, that bit wasn't so bad, really, we probably could just about have survived such a blow, but then there was the interconnector which we needed before we could sell any electricity to anybody, and somehow after a lot of argy bargy and delays we ended up having to take on a cut of the cost of that....not quite sure how that happened, but, you see, we had no choice really, without it we would have been bankrupt there and then, it was our only hope.

 

Somehow we managed to scrape together enough to make the interconnector happen, and it was all looking good, we really were on the way up. All the turbines were raring to go, and finally, even if it was many, many years late, the electricity was finally flowing in to the national grid and we were looking forward to our first big cheque.....and then, interest rates started to climb rapidly, and the Government, having to pay them too on their borrowings had to make cuts, so among others reduced the subsidies they paid for renewables, as by then everybody and his auntie had turbines they were claiming for, and the amount was really massive. Well, unfortunately when that happened we couldn't bring in enough any more to even cover the interest payments, and while the other partners got out quicker than you can say "burned fingers", we were so sure things could still be turned around that we hung in until the financiers sent in the Administrators who closed everything down, and the SCT was immediately would up by the Charity Commission. So now when you see all those old poles on tops of the hills, the large old tumble down sheds with abandoned swimming pools in them, and hear of so many oldies struggling to survive, you know the reason why.

[Ghostrider]

very quite on this topic.

im concerned for the supporters of sustainable shetland. after reading the appeal from them for support; and supporters to agree to become liable for costs. i would really advice you to really consider not doing it. your choice but when i hear unlimited costs i dread to think if some one agreed without realising the full impact this could have. i thought they  had raised all there funding. 

 

If it were to be the case that all Sustainable Shetland members somehow each became individually and personally liable for all costs incurred by the organisation, which I very much doubt is the case, it is the least of anyone's worries.

 

Personally I'm far more concerned about the liabilities, and the knock on effect of servicing them upon all of Shetland and everybody living in it, of the committment the SCT has already made to a speculative investment now being quoted as costing an estimated total of £1.35 Billion.

 

Not one of us who live here can avoid whatever liabilities may arise in the future from that, unlike Sustainable Shetland supporters, who can terminate their membership wheneve rthey like, and remove themselves from any liabilities which may arise after the date of that termination.

[paulb]

i was not debating the farm i was just worried how that appeal sounded. i would be concerned no matter what local group it was wanting its members to become personally liable. it sounds so much like the lloyds name problem of 20 years ago.

 

lets face it viking windfarm is out of our hands funny really since you antis were all for local democracy but run to distant courts to protest when you lose. even if the community was not involved it will be built. assuming some distant law lord is not swayed by your arguments. assuming of course they know where shetland is. 

[Ghostrider]

lets face it viking windfarm is out of our hands funny really since you antis were all for local democracy but run to distant courts to protest when you lose. even if the community was not involved it will be built. assuming some distant law lord is not swayed by your arguments. assuming of course they know where shetland is. 

 

 

No, it is not out of our hands, it is planned to happen on land owned in significant part by the SIC, and is financed in significant part by the SCT, to cite only two reasons.

 

Careful who you're terming "you antis". I am not and have never been a member of Sustainable Shetland, and I have never stated I support their actions. For the record, while I support in general terms their opposition to VE's plans, I have grave reservations about their chosen routes and methods of opposition to date. I have never been "all for local democracy" either, for the simple reason local democracy, if its worth calling it that, is hardly worth a sh*t.

 

Lets try and keep it accurate too while we're at it. No, it will no be built regardless of community involvement. As things currently stand, it is planned that it will be built, without community involvement it might or might not be built, but regardless of what a few peers sitting on their gilded thrones may have to say about it, there are any number of reasons which could see the whole plan greatly amended or scrapped completely at any time.

[Davie P]

Final go ahead for Viking Windfarm - http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/10130-final-go-ahead-for-viking-windfarm

Edited February 9, 2015 by Davie P

[Ghostrider]

As if there ever was any doubt, the "establishment" must always sing with one tune.

[paulb]

as a pro. im hoping those opposed are not to upset. its been a long drawn out debate. lets hope the split in our views can now be healed. you tried hard to defend what you believed was right. lets see it applied to other issues.

[Suffererof1crankymofo]

The case can still be heard in the European Court.

 

If you want to bankrupt Shetland, then back VE.

 

It's not over yet. 

[as]

Has it been a "fair fight"? Has it been a democratic decision? Has Shetland as a whole actually ever been asked what the people really want? Oh yeah, there was a lot of talk in the beginning of taking people's views on board and words along the lines of "We won't built it, if Shetland does not want it" etc etc. bla bla. Well, very conviniently a referendum on the matter has been quietly swept under the carpet, along with a whole lot of other sh*te hidden under there already. It was a stitch - up from start to finish. "They" wanted it built, come hell or high water.

A sad day and one that Shetland might well come to regret. I am just grateful I won't be here to see it!

[MuckleJoannie]

There still is no word on the interconnector being built so the process still isn't finished.

[Ghostrider]

lets hope the split in our views can now be healed.

 

Why? Life would be very boring if everybody had the same opinion. I can respect that some folk think the whole VE scheme is the best thing since sliced bread, and I have no wish to attempt to convince them otherwise. I don't believe it is a good idea, probably never will, and just expect my opinion to be given the equal respect I give those who hold the opposing view.

 

I don't see what good it would do if everybody changed their minds to one view, or what harm it will do if everybody holds different ones. After all, I daresay MP's whatever their persuasion and whatever party won the last election, all get along just fine when they hit the Commons bar.

[George.]

 

lets hope the split in our views can now be healed.

 

Why? Life would be very boring if everybody had the same opinion. I can respect that some folk think the whole VE scheme is the best thing since sliced bread, and I have no wish to attempt to convince them otherwise. I don't believe it is a good idea, probably never will, and just expect my opinion to be given the equal respect I give those who hold the opposing view.

 

I don't see what good it would do if everybody changed their minds to one view, or what harm it will do if everybody holds different ones. After all, I daresay MP's whatever their persuasion and whatever party won the last election, all get along just fine when they hit the Commons bar.

 

 

Quite right, we're all entitled to our own opinion and, let's face it, if we all thought the same then we'd all have died of boredom a long, long time ago

[ArabiaTerra]

Aaaaaand relax.

 

What's that I smell?

 

Vindication?

 

Victory?

 

Viking!

[Kavi Ugl]

Sad, but not surprising. 

 

Even setting aside the dubious financial figures, personally I think the terrain will be so difficult to work on that it'll be problem after problem.

 

The crane(s) needed will be huge and with size comes wind and weather problems i.e expensive delays.  Not to mention the ground sinking under the sheer weight of the machines, if not the thousands of tonnes of stone itself layed down as access roads. 

 

I don't suppose that's even entered the heads of Viking Energy though.

 

And then there's all the other people with £ signs in their eyes waiting in the wings for their own wind developments.

Edited February 9, 2015 by Kavi Ugl