Northern Isles Renewable Energy Officer

Members of the three island communities of Unst, Yell and Fetlar, which make up the north isles of Shetland, have formed the North Isles Renewable Energy Partnership (NIREP), to address the economic and social regeneration of their islands. NIREP has received assistance for a two-year period from the European Union-funded LEADER+ programme, Shetland Enterprise and the Scottish Executive to hire a renewable energy development officer.

Sandy Macaulay from NIREP, said:

"We hope to appoint a self-motivated, dynamic person to this role, whose purpose will be to drive forward and provide ongoing support for community based renewable energy projects in the north isles."

Unst, Yell and Fetlar have a population of less than 2,000 between them, but a recent study has indicated that almost £3 million per year is spent by north isles residents and businesses on externally produced energy.  Being at the end of the fossil fuel supply chain means that imported fuel in the north isles is amongst the most expensive in the UK. At the same time, the north isles are blessed with probably the best renewable energy resource in the country in terms of potential wind, tide and wave power.

The three island communities have a shared commitment to sustainable economic and social development and in recent years there has been an increasing interest in renewable energy schemes. This has led to the need for a development officer to support the community groups, ensuring all technical and operational issues are taken into account, allowing the projects to become a sustainable reality. 

Commenting on the new post, Katrina Wiseman, development manager with Shetland Enterprise, said:

"The NIREP development officer will support local community groups in the north isles to substitute externally produced energy with locally owned and produced renewable energy. This should inject a substantial amount of money into the local economy - and, in turn, create additional employment locally."