Western Isles MP Torcuil Crichton has strongly rejected claims by Councillor Gordon Murray that a Westminster report on community energy fails to deliver for the islands.
The exchange follows criticism from Cllr Murray (Stornoway North), who called on the MP to press for stronger action after the UK Parliament's Energy Security and Net Zero Committee published its report, Get connected: How community energy can turbocharge the transition.
While praising the work of Point and Sandwick Trust as an example of successful community-owned renewable energy, Cllr Murray argued the report does not go far enough to address the Western Isles' unique challenges.
"The Western Isles have some of the best wind resources in Europe. Projects like Point and Sandwick Trust prove what real community energy can do. I strongly admire their success," he said.
"Yet fuel poverty here is still far too high. Too many families are struggling with expensive heating oil in remote areas and older homes."
Although he welcomed proposals for greater community ownership and improved grid access, Cllr Murray said they lacked the urgency and specificity needed for the islands.
He called for faster electricity transmission links, lower electricity bills for Western Isles households and clear targets to reduce fuel poverty.
"The people of the Western Isles need real progress now. The energy transition must deliver fair benefits to the communities that produce the power," he added.
Responding, Mr Crichton dismissed the criticism, insisting the report was shaped with the Western Isles firmly in mind.
"I'm not sure Councillor Murray has read the report," he said. "Every recommendation in it is applicable to the Western Isles. The report was forged in the Western Isles. I came to Parliament and was voted onto the Energy Committee to specifically put community energy on the Westminster agenda.
"This is a national report, and the focus was not on fuel poverty – it was grid connections. The clue is in the title."
The MP said the committee's recommendations would directly benefit the islands, adding: "In case Councillor Murray is hard of reading it might help to insert the words 'in the Western Isles' into each recommendation after the word communities or projects."
"Here are the recommendations we made to the Energy Minister: The Department should urgently:
"Prioritise existing community-owned projects “in the Western Isles” in the grid connection queue by designating community energy as a strategic priority and directing regulators and network distributors to remove barriers to connections.
"Implement existing legislation to give communities and/or municipalities “in the Western Isles” the right to take a minimum 20% stake in onshore and offshore renewable projects in their local area and incentivise commercial developers to engage with community organisations and to lift the minimum stake which developers must offer from 5% to 20%.
"Change planning laws to ensure that community share and enhanced community benefits “in the Western Isles” are material considerations in planning applications for commercial renewable projects.
"Give Ofgem a deadline to devise a clear definition of community energy projects “in the Western Isles” so that it can be included in the Energy Independence Bill.
"Instruct GB Energy to act on the Energy Secretary’s letter of instruction and provide financial, legal and technical expertise at scale to community energy initiatives “in the Western Isles”.
"We recommend that the Government produces, within six months, a regulatory framework to allow community energy generators to sell electricity to local consumers “in the Western Isles”.
Mr Crichton concluded by challenging the councillor's criticism.
"I'd challenge Gordon Murray to find any Westminster report more relevant to the Western Isles, advise him to stop wasting time trying to be a bigmouth and get on with the work of making sure the islands communities get a share the renewables transition."
