FERGUS EWING: We would do well to heed the words of Winston Churchill on energy supplies
Dunkelflaute… I have asked First Minister John Swinney in Holyrood if he was concerned that we lack enough back up and base load for the National Grid.
I quizzed him on this in light of the recent blackouts in Spain and Portugal impacting most of the population there and initially estimated to cost about four billion Euros.
As in Scotland, Spain and Portugal’s electricity system increasingly relies on renewable sources - mainly wind and solar.
Indeed, in the UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Milliband has resolved , in just five years by 2030 to move from gas to wind.
Something widely regarded as for the birds…
But what happens when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine?
The Germans have a work for these weather conditions “dunkelflaute” - literally dark doldrums or dark lull - referring to a period of low wind and little to no sunshine, often occurring here in winter.
On January 8, earlier this year, the UK came the closest in 15 years to having to cut off electricity supply to some of the country because of concerns that the available power supply could not meet demand.
With the last coal fire station closing, we were only one gas power station away from blackouts.
Two of our nuclear stations are about to close, and experts reckon the risks of a serious outage is at its greatest in the next three years.
I urged the First Minister to support more new gas stations - which are much more efficient and therefore less carbon emitting - than the old one.
They can be built in a few years, unlike nuclear plants. I am afraid that his answer, ducked the question.
Of course pump storage schemes can help, as can interconnectors.
But we should be wary of forgetting the maxim of Winston Churchill, who, as so often put it best: “When it comes to electricity supply, the solution is variety and variety alone.”
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Another day in the office?
It was Churchill who took Britain to VE Day when he said: “Long live the cause of freedom! … Let us celebrate but not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. “
Neither he nor those who had fought the war and risked their lives for freedom could have possibly imagined that the civil service unions here are complaining that their members are now being asked to work in the office , and not at home , for two days a week - yes two whole days.
At present they only have to turn up to work for one day a week!
I imagine Sir Winston may have had something to say about that… but perhaps not especially printable!
Recently I visited a local farmer, and was reminded, just how long are his hours and exhausting the labour.
Why not try a secondment scheme whereby civil servants are required to spend a month or to working on a farm .
Sir W might have had a chuckle about that.
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Highlands and Islands Enterprise have reported that there are a staggering 251 projects in the pipeline over the next decade or so amounting to a total of £100 billion which is expected to create as much as 18,000 operational jobs by 2040.
Even if a half or two-thirds of these are completed, the consequences for the Highlands are going to be enormous , for housing school places, GP and Hospital capacity and of course the dualling (or not) of the A9 and A96.
This is quite simply unprecedented.
What I am clear of is this: Holyrood and the Scottish Government must surely cease discussing so many things beyond our control, and also issues which do not much effect the majority of people in their lives, and focus on how we grow the economy thereby providing the means of paying for improved and much expanded public services.
In my humble opinion, there is simply no alternative.
Fergus Ewing (SNP) is MSP for Strathspey.
