Early Moves

On October 13th 2003, as part of the "Renewable Realities Conference", a workshop held in the Stromness Hotel involved over 50 local people. After the panel gave some preliminary comments a lively and informative discussion took place. Some of the key points made were as follows.

• Communities should protect themselves from future energy shortage and consequent high price.

• In Orkney we have the assets of wind, tide and wave.

• The panel believed there should be some form of Community Ownership rather than the models for annual payments from developers thought to be no better than a bribe.

• The meeting reached no conclusion for the best model for community participation.

• Participants identified the possibility that Scottish Water might sell the Stromness Waterworks after draining the reservoir.

• Maintenance of the dam needed continuing financial commitment

• Everyone wanted to see something done about keeping it for Stromness use.

• Several renewable energy projects pointed out as potential for the Stromness area.

• Realised the Waterworks could be the nucleus for a combined Wind and Hydroelectric pump storage scheme.

Stromness Community Business Forum (SCBF) and the Stromness Community Council (SCC) followed up by acknowledging that this area, which once belonged to the Stromness Town Council, made a valuable recreational asset for the community. If sold to private developers we would loss this local resource.

The Stromness Community Business Forum and Stromness Community Council launched an investigation into the potential for renewable energy in and around Stromness, with the aim of providing local control and ownership of such development. The Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative funded the study. Part of this feasibility study examined the potential for wind and small hydroelectric projects at the waterworks to provide a revenue stream for upkeep of the dam.

This study presented at a public meeting March 2004, suggested potential for wind turbines at the site but discounted the sustainability of producing hydroelectricity. The 80 people present at the meeting charged the SCC and the SCBF to:

• Negotiate acquisition of the land at the waterworks.

• Developed the recreational potential of the site.

• Progress revenue producing renewable energy projects at the site.

The steering group of directors moved towards registering with the Scottish Executive a community interest in buying the land under the Community Land Reform Act (Scotland).

Local Ownership of Renewable Energy

In contrast with larger scale developer-owned projects, the Stromness development could consist of two community owned wind turbines. The Stromness project would allow a real alternative to the usual forms of commercial development, and could provide strong economic benefits to the local community. The main site for the proposed development is land on the north side of the former waterworks in the hills above Stromness while improving most of the land for public access and recreation.  The Community Land Fund could finance takeover of the reservoir and the surrounding land.