Local Resident Asserts 'Wind Farm Truths'

The 68 Griffin turbines will stand 124m high to the tip of the rotor blades, which is equivalent to a 30 story building, or more than half the height of Weem Rock. These turbines will be located in the Griffin forest to the south-east of Aberfeldy, on land which ranges from 350m to 500m in altitude. This scheme, with an installed capacity of 216MW, will generate around 560 million units of electricity each year (if we accept the developer’s expected load factor of around 30% which many question as over optimistic).
The Calliachar scheme comprises 27 turbines situated on the hills due south of Aberfeldy, west of the A826 and Loch Hoil. These turbines will stand 100m high, on a ridge up to 600m (2000 feet) above Strath Tay and Glen Quaich. Calliachar will generate around 130 million units (at 30% load factor).
So the two wind farms combined will produce about the same as four of the larger hydro-electric stations in the Tummel/Breadalbane scheme. Given the sheer scale and number of proposed turbines, it is undeniable that both proposals constitute industrial scale developments in the heart of Highland Perthshire.
The turbines will be visible from the Pitlochry-Strathtay Right of Way, from the A826 (a National Tourist route), the A826, and from Birnam Hill, Farragon, Ben Vrackie, Schiehallion and Ben Lawers. They will undoubtedly have a significant adverse impact on the unspoilt landscape and character of this area.

Construction
The construction phase has also raised very serious concerns - each turbine foundation will require around 1000 m3 of concrete - representing many thousands of HGV movements along roads which - as the accident on the A9 last year demonstrated - are not fit for heavy traffic.
The turbines themselves will have to be delivered 45m sections. Consequently, there will be have to be at least 476 abnormal load movements for Griffin, and 80 for Calliachar, which will result in serious congestion on the A9 and total closures of the A822.
These vehicles will also require police escort, which take up valuable police time, at the expense of taxpayers. The developers do not appear to have resolved the issue of how these abnormal loads will get under the railway bridge over the A822 after they turn off the A9 at the Inver junction.

Natural Heritage
From a distance, the turbine blades may appear to revolve slowly, but the size of the turbines disguises the truth - when revolving the blade tips will be cutting through the air at 150mph - posing a deadly threat to any passing eagles, ospreys, red kites, eagles, or hen harriers.
SNH, the government agency tasked with protecting our natural heritage, is apparently content for the developers to begin monitoring during the construction phase. This is despite the fact that many ‘Annex 1 birds’ (eg eagles, hen harriers, ospreys, red and black throated divers) are all known to fly over the wind farm sites, and subsequent monitoring is of little scientific value if you do not have good baseline data. The objectors’ expert ornithologist witness at the Public Inquiry made it abundantly clear to the Reporter that, if these protected birds are in any way harmed by the development, the Scottish Ministers will be legally responsible and could face prosecution.
Many local objectors believe that, just as SNH failed in its duty to consult the local community, it has also failed competently to assess the threat these schemes pose to rare birds and scenery. Cynics have suggested that SNH must have been too busy colluding with the developers. Of course, SNH is entirely funded by the Scottish Executive, which is keen to meet its 2010 target for renewable energy production, so perhaps its stance is not that surprising.

Energy Production and Subsidies
At current market rates, Griffin and Calliachar Wind farms will generate around £32M worth of electricity each year (216MW+50MW x 30% (load factor) x 365 x 24 x £45 MW/hour). The wind farms will bring few long term jobs to the area. From Dr J. Etherington’s figures, (google “The Case Against Wind Farms 2006”), the Griffin scheme will receive a subsidy of around £25 million each year, index linked. How big a slice of this public subsidy the absentee landowner of the Griffin forest will receive is not known.
The Calliachar developer/landowner will receive an annual subsidy of around £6 million. It is also worth noting that if the sole aim of these farms is to reduce carbon emissions, the annual £32 million subsidy would be much better spent providing consumers with free low-energy light bulbs and better home insulation.

Summary
These wind farms are not viable without 100% subsidy, and will only create a few long term jobs. Existing tourism businesses in Perthshire generate around £300 million p.a. and provide about 15% of all employment, ie many thousands of jobs.Visitors surveys have repeatedly shown that the main reason people come to the Highlands is to enjoy our unspoilt scenery and natural heritage. Surveys have also shown that visitors are much less likely to return to areas where wind farms have been developed. These wind farms will not only degrade our scenery and threaten wildlife, they will harm the tourism sector, which is the mainstay of our economy.
Let’s hope the Inquiry Reporter sees through the green spin and sloppy science, and recommends that the Scottish Ministers reject these applications - our historic Perthshire landscapes deserves much better protection than the planning system and SNH have afforded to date.

URL for the Case Against Wind Farms is:
http://www.countryguardian.net/Case%202006.htm