Figures provided by the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) show that constraints payments paid to Scottish onshore wind farms hit £30.9 million in March. The figure was described as a “growing problem” by the REF, the UK charity that first drew attention to constraint payments in the wind energy sector. The Scottish Government confirmed it “was aware” of recent issues affecting the Scotland to Great Britain (GB) interconnector. John Constable, director of REF, said: “Constraint payments to wind power are a continuing and it seems still growing problem. “Furthermore, the prices demanded and received by wind power continue to exceed the lost income by a large margin, meaning that wind farms make more money per unit of electricity when prevented from generating than when selling to a customer. “That can’t be right. It is obvious that the regulator should not permit excess reward on this scale.” Constraints payments are amounts paid to energy providers when an excess of energy is being supplied to the grid.
Energy Voice 12th April 2019 read more »
