UK grid connection charges ‘discriminatory’, says HIE study

Producers of renewable energy in Scotland’s islands and north mainland almost certainly face the highest charges in Europe to connect to a national electricity grid, according to this report.

The study, ‘European practices with grid connection, reinforcement, constraint and charging of renewable energy projects’, was commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and carried out by consultants Xero Energy.

It examined EU directives relating to renewable energy and the grid and compared UK practice with other European countries, notably the three leading renewable energy producers: Denmark, Germany and Spain.

The full report is available to download here, right.