Thousands of energy jobs at stake over Longannet future

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Thousands of energy jobs at stake over Longannet future, shadow minister to be told

Prospect, the union representing engineers and professionals in the energy supply industry, will today [Monday] raise the issue of the threatened Longannet power station at a meeting with shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex.



Unless a deal can be reached between station owners ScottishPower and National Grid over the latter’s regionally-based charging system, which discriminates against electricity generation in Scotland, then the plant will close in March 2016.

Closure will result in the loss of around 500 jobs at the site and affect thousands of others across Fife and central Scotland employed in the supply chain.

“It’s important that politicians stopped using our members as a political football,” said negotiator Richard Hardy.

“This issue is about jobs and the ability of all companies to develop new generation assets for Scotland. It shouldn’t just been seen as an opportunity to back one of the ‘Big Six’.”

For further information contact:
Richard Hardy 0131 558 2660 (w) 0771 863 2171 (m) [email protected]
Andrew Child 020 7902 6681 (w) [email protected]