'Mad' fines of £200,000 jeopardise Scots green energy sector

Plans to turn Scotland into the renewable-energy powerhouse of Europe are under threat from new rules being proposed by the UK electricity regulator, experts warned last night. Ofgem is preparing to impose higher charges on electricity generators located further away from large population centres. The move could make some schemes in the Highlands and Islands economically unviable. Scottish Renewables, an umbrella organisation for the industry, compared the planned charging structure to a "don't build here" sign for the wind-farm industry and the fledging wave/tidal sector. The Scottish Executive said the suggested scheme would "actively work against" Scotland's burgeoning renewable energy industry and called for a change in the remit of Ofgem.