Plans for Third Scottish Wind Farm Unveiled

ScottishPower has unveiled plans to build a third large-scale windfarm in Scotland – at Harestanes and Ae Forest, near Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway.

Dumfries, Scotland – February 3, 2003 [SolarAccess.com] The project will be of a similar scale to the proposed wind farm at Whitelee Forest, and could accommodate up to 180 turbines and generate enough electricity to power 250,000 homes. If approved Harestanes wind farm could meet a third of the Scottish Renewable Energy target of 18 percent by 2010 and make a major contribution to the consultative target of 40 percent by 2020. The site was selected following an extensive search across Scotland to evaluate the best locations for new wind farms. Harestanes is one of only a few sites capable of accommodating large-scale wind energy generation, and it has good wind resource, good access and there is spare capacity on the nearby electricity grid network to take the power. Discussions and plans for the project are at an early stage, although ScottishPower is already engaged in early consultations with landowners and planning authorities to discuss the scope of the wind farm. ScottishPower wants to hear the views of the local community and all interested parties are being invited to put their comments forward. A report outlining plans will shortly be sent to local community councils and this will be followed by a series of public exhibitions. ScottishPower is the UK’s biggest windfarm developer with experience of developing and operating 11 in the UK and Ireland generating 128 MW with around 500 MW currently in development. “Harestanes is the third in our series of large windfarms, and as such is a very important element of our plans to expand renewable energy production,” said ScottishPower Head of Wind Development, Alan Mortimer. “The next stage will be a thorough consultation with all those involved, including the local communities, before finalizing the design and the environmental assessment, after which an application will be submitted to the Scottish Executive.”