The SNP group is cranking up the pressure on the comhairle leadership to pull off a deal to give cheap electricity to every home in the Western Isles – but they say the council is inexplicably dragging its feet.
It says members of the comhairle leadership are burying their heads in the sand on the issue and are now simply failing to answer questions from the SNP.
Exasperated members of the SNP group have gone public on the leadership’s inaction after advice from Ofgem last week which seemed to confirm the SNP group’s view that local authorities can offer cost-price electricity to the local market.
Gordon Murray says comhairle leadership just does not respond to questions
The SNP group says it has long since been an advocate of using the huge potential of renewable energy to radically lower electricity prices for every home in the Outer Hebrides.
Councillor Gordon Murray said the islands are in a situation where we have the worst fuel poverty levels in Western Europe. He said 71% of island homes are in fuel poverty and yet we have the best renewable energy on the planet, according to a council report earlier.
He said: “Surely our council can meet the needs of the local economy who are suffering due to the high energy prices. We will continue to press for cost-price electricity and ensure this addresses our shocking fuel poverty issues.”
In an email to Coun Murray, Ofgem said: “There are no fundamental barriers to local authorities supplying electricity at cost. We have some insights from other local authorities exploring this route across Great Britain.”
Ofgem have extended an invitation to the comhairle to discuss what it can do. However, there are now mounting allegations that certain comhairle directors are dragging their feet to try and derail the SNP campaign.
Busy Alasdair Macleod always has an excuse for not replying, says SNP group
Councillor Murray added: “I am surprised that this option has not been fully explored by the Comhairle over the years and when I asked at full council on Wednesday 24th June if the council could look at this, the Chair of Sustainable development and newly-appointed director of the Outer Hebrides Energy Supply Company, Councillor Alasdair Macleod, failed to give an answer claiming the Convenor, Councillor Norman Macdonald, intervened without giving him a chance to respond.
“In an email exchange, I asked Councillor Alasdair Macleod again if he would commit to exploring this option fully with advice and guidance from Ofgem and have had no response.”
