THE FOUR Lewis townships that have applied to the Crofting Commission for permission to develop community-owned wind turbines on their common grazings have welcomed the announcement that ‘remote island wind’ projects will be eligible to bid for subsidy in the next round of the ‘Contracts for Difference’ auction in 2019, writes Mark Entwistle.
However, while they have welcomed the announcement that up to £557 million of support will be available, representatives from the crofting townships have stressed that the community’s rights must be protected while multinationals such as EDF Energy seek to maximise their business opportunities in the islands.
Renewables developments in the Outer Hebrides, Shetland and Orkney will all be in line for potential support in 2019.