Applecross - Energy Rich, Power Poor. Why Scotland's green revolution isn't working for local people

Описание: How Scotland's great potential for renewable energy is thwarted. Scotland has abundant sources of renewable energy but local communities and Scotland's devolved government lack the power to fully exploit that potential. This film is the story of Applecross a small community in the scenic Scottish Highlands which should be awash with wind and hydro energy since it nestles under the UK’s highest mountain road.

Instead, residents have some of the country’s highest energy bills and 7 in 10 live in fuel
poverty. The 250-strong community has tried its hardest to tackle this. Locals raised nearly a million
pounds ten years ago to unlock more Westminster funding for Apple Juice – their
community hydro project. But they’re still waiting for the extra grid connection promised by
SSE - the private company overseen by Ofgem on behalf of the British Government that
decides on grid upgrades. And there’s nothing anyone in Scotland can do about it because
energy and grid connection are powers reserved to Westminster – not Holyrood.
So, Applecross has no public electric-car chargers, no electric showers in the hotel, no new
businesses, fuel poverty and a dwindling population.

Energy rich but without the power to make that work for local people.
It’s a situation replicated across rural Scotland and Scotland's islands but unheard of in other small
countries at our latitude. The film explores the challanges community energy in Scotland faces and the problems created by a power grid which isn't set up to meet their needs.

Thanks to Judith Fish of Applecross Inn, Megan Macinnes of Applecross Community
Company, Roy and Martin Foster, owners of Allt-na-Moine hydro, and Su from Bakkafrost for
cooperation with filming and to the Scottish Independence Foundation for funding.

Filmed by Katy and Chris Kilgour
Edited and co-produced by Katy Kilgour
Co-produced and presented by Lesley Riddoch.

Music - Various artists – CapCut.