A review of the current status of wind energy developments in Scotland

Despite the UK government's commitment to increasing renewable energy‐generating capacity, there has been limited adoption of wind‐energy technologies in Scotland. The Public Electricity Suppliers have taken a conservative view due to existing contractual obligations and generating over‐capacity. Local planning authorities have encountered a lack of linkage between national energy policy and other rural policy objectives. It is argued that these issues and wider community concerns must be dealt with before wind energy is likely to make a significant contribution to the energy economy of Scotland.