Opinion: On getting the energy transition right in the Highlands

Some things should just make sense. Like the idea that the best decisions are made when local people are empowered to make them. That matters to Highlanders. But where energy projects are concerned, why is it not so simple?

We have seen a catalogue of decisions, including the Banniskirk Hub, which have exposed a system that is failing to protect community interests amid the scale and speed of development. That is a recipe for disaster where no one wins.

The Banniskirk Hub, intended to distribute power generated by offshore wind farms, faced more than 250 objections with just one public comment in support. Local residents fear the 140-football pitch-sized site - considerably larger than neighbouring Halkirk - is overwhelming. These views matter not because they are objections, but because local knowledge leads to better outcomes.

Yet when Councillor Jan McEwan requested a deferment to allow a site visit, she was told there was “insufficient time”. Several councillors voiced concerns the current planning framework prevented any competent motions based on the cumulative impact, with one since telling me they feared it marked the “death knell” of local democracy.

Too many Highland communities feel that decisions are being imposed on them rather than made with them. With limited support, many are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of energy development applications. What’s needed is clearer, more accessible guidance to help people navigate an increasingly saturated and complex landscape. That is the gap I am aiming to address through a new Energy Insight Fund.

Ministers of both Scotland’s governments must recognise that this sense of powerlessness never leads to good outcomes. Just look at the polarisation of this debate. Surely, whatever our differing positions on the country’s future energy mix and the path to net zero, common ground can be found. There must be, because a false choice that fails to encompass the diversity of views we hear will only benefit the powerful, not the communities most affected by these decisions.

As someone who calls the Highlands home, I cannot view the scale of what is being asked of our communities through any lens other than a Highland one.

Communities are raising legitimate questions about cumulative impact, proportionality of industry, construction disruption, increased traffic on our already pressured roads, people’s wellbeing, and consequences for the environment, natural and cultural heritage, and local habitats - we must ensure they are heard. Where the Spittal to Beauly line plan is concerned, I urge the Scottish Government to take seriously the objections raised by Highland Council.

Ministers must also learn from the Banniskirk Hub case, which has left our local democracy creaking. Communities need meaningful engagement, not something that feels performative. To respond to the growing concerns at the pace of activity, planning reform is urgently required, not introduced after the fact. That means a higher requirement for community engagement, post-planning accountability, and an end to the first-come, first-served race among developers. This must be among the first acts of a new Scottish Government.

From the doors I knock, I also hear frustration at the lack of protections for communities and failure to reform transmission costs. That is why this should be about empowerment, not compensation. Yet there the SNP government’s failed to publish their long-awaited energy strategy, and their proposed community benefits are, in real terms, lower than they were in 2014. That’s a pittance.

So, let’s address community benefits - or, rather, “wealth”. And to those understandably sceptical after years of a piecemeal, inconsistent approach, I get that. I do not mean painting a village hall or temporary accommodation. I mean a meaningful, long-term legacy - akin to what the nuclear industry delivered in Caithness - but one where communities see a sustained and serious reduction in their energy bills, and hold a genuine stake in their own resources. That’s why I believe community ownership should always have had priority access to the grid.

Let me put my cards on the table: clean energy - renewables and new nuclear - is essential. It will help phase out fossil fuels, cut carbon emissions, create secure, high-quality jobs, support workers currently in oil and gas, and strengthen domestic energy security.

But this cannot happen over the heads of local communities. I fear the horse is bolting, so urgency in putting this right is needed. If government fails, people will be left disenfranchised, public support for the vital work needed to tackle the climate crisis will erode, and the opportunity to deliver a clean energy strategy that should empower people to meet the unique challenges we have in the Highlands will be lost.

David Green
Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross.