Comment & Debate
Alan Ervine, professor of water engineering at Glasgow University – “Hydropower is far cheaper compared to other renewable sources. Each of the large dam schemes will probably last for 100 years. So they have good cost-effectiveness.”[1]
Tom Douglas, a consultant at the engineering firm Mott MacDonald, said to the Times Online in an April, 2008 article – “On a recent exercise we did for a private client, we updated our assessments and [provided] a selection of schemes, in areas that would be reasonably easy to connect to the grid. Having looked at the figures, they went for further wind investment, for the simple reason that it is hugely subsidised. As a personal view, I would get rid of all subsidies, because I think there is a tendency now to invest purely on the short term, for a quick return.”[2]