Scotland demands fair electricity charges
Published on : 23/02/2009
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The Scottish National Party's (SNP) Westminster energy spokesperson Mike Weir has called on the government to bring an end to discriminatory National Grid transmission charges.
According to the MP, Scottish energy firms are forced to pay £150 million to supply the National Grid with electricity, while English firms have received £100 million in subsidies.
Firms are charged depending on the maximum amount of energy that can be produced at each plant they operated and figures from ScottishPower show that on average energy providers in the southern counties of England are charged £9 for every kilowatt hour, compared with £14 in most of Scotland and £22 in the Highlands.
Mr Weir said: "Transmission and locational charges are penalising energy providers in Scotland, and this daft and discriminatory regime needs to end."
He added that the charges jeopardise investment and undermine the drive for renewable energy.
Last week, Mr Weir accused Labour of becoming spin doctors for the Nuclear power industry.
