Good Practice Wind Project
Scotland are leading the co-ordination of an ambitious and truly collaborative European project which was launched in Glasgow on the 14th September 2010 by Jim Mather , Minister for Enterprise , Energy & Tourism.
Securing €2m funding from the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) as part of the Intelligent Energy Europe programme the project will work in 8 countries within the EU. The partner countries are: Scotland (Scotland wide and specific case study in the Western Isles) , Ireland, Spain (with a focus on Catalonia) , Greece, Italy (with a focus on the provinces of Savona and Benevento) , Norway, Belgium and Malta.
Across the eight countries the following organisations are partners in the initiative:
• Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland • Leitat Technological Centre • Speed Development Consultants • SSE Renewables • Agenzia ASEA Spa • University of Thessaloniki • A.D.E.P.S.A • Projects in Motion • The Scottish Government | • The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research • SQW Energy • Scottish Power Renewables • Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Scotland • Administration of the Province of Savona, Italy • Apere • The Region of Western Greece • The Western Isles Council |
This project will address barriers to the deployment of onshore and offshore wind generation, specifically by developing good practice in reconciling objectives on renewable energy with wider environmental objectives and actively involving communities in planning and implementation. By bringing together developers, regional and local government, environmental agencies and NGOs from differing countries to share experiences, it will be possible to develop a guide to good practice and a 'how to' toolkit, which can be used to facilitate deployment of renewable energy in support of the 2020 targets.
The key added European value from this proposal will be to demonstrate and disseminate good practice from individual countries to target audiences across Europe, providing tools which can be used by industry, developers, European, national and local policy makers, regulatory authorities, environmental agencies and groups and local communities to improve the policy, guidance, process and practice of dealing with applications for new renewable energy projects. A common methodology will be developed to ensure that the good practice focuses on solving practical problems and is valid despite differences in geography and administrative systems.
The project will involve key stakeholders and policy-makers at all stages, including government, developers, environmental agencies, community groups and NGOs. The Scottish Government will be represented on the project by the Energy Directorate, the Directorate for the Built Environment, Marine Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage, and we will be maintaining close links with UK colleagues in DECC throughout the duration of the project.
Specifically the project will be undertaken in consultation with Bird Life International, the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), the network of European Nature Conservation Agencies (ENCA), and the Conference for Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CPMR), all of which will participate in surveys, stakeholder events and dissemination activities.
A full website for the project will be developed by LEITAT (Spain) and will be up and running in due course.