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Just a day after Europe's biggest wind farm was switched on in Scotland, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) today unveiled plans for an ever bigger wind project in the Shetland Islands.
SSE announced the plans as it unveiled record profits of £1.25 billion for the year to the end of March, thanks to charging Southern Electric customers all-time high household energy prices.
The company's nine million customers endured average power bills topping £100 a month, allowing SSE to raise its dividend 9% to a record 66p for shareholders.
The news about the Shetland wind project came as SSE announced plans to further offset the pollution of two of the country's dirtiest greenhouse gas offenders - its giant coal-fired Fiddlers Ferry and Ferrybridge power stations in the North .
SSE said plans for 150 turbines on Shetland will produce more electricity for up to 500,000 homes, nearly double that to be produced at Whitelee, which was unveiled by arch-rival Scottish Power earlier this week.
The Shetland plans are as ambitious as they will be controversial and will only be viable if an undersea cable is linked to the mainland to get the output connected to the National Grid.
SSE's results indicate that the company is winning the battle to recruit customers by consistently charging lower electricity and gas rates than its five main rivals, notwithstanding Southern Electric's higher prices this year.
Over the year it has won 600,000 or 7% more customers compared to British Gas, whose customer numbers remain flat despite two price cuts in recent months.
Reader views (1)
If this produces employment for the islands, well and good; but it does seem perverse to be siting energy-producing plant in the world's Klondyke for wave and tidal power that doesn't make use of them. Windpower, which seemed so attractive in the 70's, is not the best use of investment: the same amount spent on energy efficiency would save much more CO2. But tidal power is completely dependable, and the leading wave power systems are British-made (which may be why they're being prototyped in Portugal!)
- Mdj E10, london uk, 21/05/2009 22:06
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