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Washington's Too Busy for Scottish Energy

Douglas Fraser | 18:44 UK time, Wednesday, 3 November 2010

Just hypothetically, let's suppose you head the government of a small country that aspires to be "the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy", harnessing its natural advantages, its brainpower and its world-class science base.

And suppose the US Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, comes visiting that small country, bringing with him not only a Nobel prize for physics but also the clout of President Obama's big ambitions to transform America's use of energy by harnessing scientific innovation, helped by a humungous research and development budget.

Don't you think you might be rather keen to meet said Dr Chu to see what potential there might be for collaboration?

I'm told Alex Salmond was very keen, and a meeting was discussed with the Washington administration.

It would have been easy.

Mr Salmond was at the SECC yesterday, speaking at the RenewablesUK conference and announcing a £70m fund to help build infrastructure for offshore developments.

Dr Chu was speaking at precisely the same time, about 100 metres away at the Glasgow Science Centre, on the subject of 'Laser Cooling, Single Molecule Biology and Sustainable Energy Solutions'.

This was at a conference to mark Scotland's contribution to the laser, 50 years after it was first demonstrated, on the day new research showed the industry is worth £660m per year to the Scottish economy, with the laser as the basis for 3,000 Scottish jobs.

Other lectures were entitled 'The Quantum Optics of Stickiness', 'Security, Insecurity, Paranoia and Quantum Mechanics', and 'Looking on the Bright Side of Light'.

But despite their proximity on either side of the Clyde, the first minister and the energy secretary didn't meet, and didn't have an opportunity to discuss co-operation.

Economy Minister Jim Mather was due to have spoken at the conference, but he missed his slot. It seems he was stuck in traffic - which, as metaphors go, isn't a happy one.

I'm told Dr Chu, who received an honorary degree from Strathclyde University earlier today, had too packed a schedule to meet the First Minister, and no, this shouldn't be interpreted as a snub.

So in no way does this have anything to do with an administration in Washington that has its own reasons for wanting nothing to do with the administration in Edinburgh.

And just to be clear, you are not to conclude that the renewable energy sector is paying a price for the release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi.

Golly Moses, no.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Nice try Douglas but had this been the US President or Secretary of State you might have a case.

    That said I would remind you - in case you'd forgotten - that in his report last year on Energy Security the former Energy Minister admitted that the UK invested considerably less in energy R&D than any of its major competitors. So Dr Chu probably thought it wasn't really worth talking to anyone over here about energy technology.

  • Comment number 2.

    So what's that supposed to mean? it looks a bit el-grubbo-pig-pen from here.


  • Comment number 3.

    Aren't you really paraphrasing the famous William McGonagall poem "A ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Ode to the Scottish Government"
    "Says the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ
    "Do not free
    Megrahi!"
    "Bad SNP!"
    Says Dimbleby.
    "Biased- not me!"

  • Comment number 4.

  • Comment number 5.

    This comment has been referred for further consideration. Explain.

  • Comment number 6.

    The US is more interested in Big Oil than renewables.

    Renewables are a threat which have the potential to send oil the same way as coal.

    So we talk about saving baby polar bears....while we invade oil rich states like Iraq.

  • Comment number 7.

    "And just to be clear, you are not to conclude that the renewable energy sector is paying a price for the release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi.

    Golly Moses, no."

    Is there a suggestion here that our Justice Secretary, acting in a quasi-judicial role, should have allowed himself to be influenced by political and/or economic considerations?

    Golly Moses, no.

  • Comment number 8.

    I'm sure the wee man wasnae all that interested in a few windmills and pie in the sky wave machines that might or might not make a contribution to energy requirements.

  • Comment number 9.

    8. kaybraes
    "I'm sure the wee man wasnae all that interested in a few windmills and pie in the sky wave machines that might or might not make a contribution to energy requirements."

    If by "the wee man" you mean US Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, then it seems you think him the complete fool. Because only a complete fool so casually dismisses the immense potential of wind and wave power.

  • Comment number 10.

    Perhaps the US energy secretary suspected the outcome of the mid-term elections. Congress was less than enthusiastic about the administration's plans for renewable energy even before the transfer of political power this week.

    On the other hand however the governor of California is determined.

  • Comment number 11.

    The bbc in Scotland really are a boring lot, they must have a full dep't fixated on al-Megrahi looking for every and any angle to attack the Scottish Government regarding this. What they don't get is that there is a large part of Scotland who well wishing no American any harm don't like the idea of getting on bended knee unlike the anglo-american bbc.
    The Bubble is burst for unionism the days of Rule Britannia are over, they can't even maintain a defence without deals with France, and the real concern that should be for a public broadcaster should be centred on the effects the closer of the air bases have on the Scottish economy or the threaten withdrawal of the coastguard deep sea tugs to shipping safety not to mention the odd nuclear submarine landing on the rocks.

  • Comment number 12.

    The SNP think the europeans will save us...my own opinion is that those euro-doods will fleece us faster than the english ever did.

    Europe got control of our fishing rights when maggie was around.

    ...and here's what happened...

    Scotland's seas are a graveyard
    /news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-11693093


    We want an alliance with Norway!
    The people demand it!
    Norway! Norway! Norway!

  • Comment number 13.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 14.

    So in Mr Frazers opinion this was a snub of some kind. I do wonder if there was a meeting to dicuss putting a SNP bashing slant on this. So here`s how we do it Douglas, we make a link to the release of mr Megrahi and that`s us done for the day. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ`s agenda is clear for all to see. It will be their downfall one day. I hope the Scottish unionist journalists who move to England when we gain Independance take a lucky rabbits foot with them because I doubt there will be any chance of them getting a job in England. No more pats on the back From their London masters.

  • Comment number 15.

    We pay the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to report in an impartial way. Not to try and make us believe that one thing is good and the other is BAD!

  • Comment number 16.

    Why is the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ more interested in the US than our closest neighbours anyway? We should be looking to European countries to see how some achieve much better standards of living for their people than we do. The media in the UK are letting us down and it`s the people who run our media who should answer to us for their failings.

  • Comment number 17.

    14. James
    "So in Mr Frazers opinion this was a snub of some kind."

    Be fair! Douglas Fraser is paid to write this stuff.

  • Comment number 18.

    17 reincarnation,"Be fair! Douglas Fraser is paid to write this stuff"
    You don't need a journalist if all they are is typists of "this stuff"
    And if they are automatons then they have a flair for it.
    At a time when what is left of a historic empire is now dependent on a neighboring france to retain a global illusion, when that same lame duck state turns on it's most vulnerable those who are dependent on benefits,the cry of the new Rule, Britannia is we may make you homeless but we can still land troops anywhere in the world with the help of france that is. the bbc in Scotland's staff seem to have distance themeless from reality.
    the classic signs of state in decline corruption, yes. large scale cuts in defence and closures of it's basis, yes. looking for scapegoats turning on the poor, yes. Instead of looking at Scotland taking the leavers of power economic and others as the british state fails we have a journalist going on about tital tatal. And is it not strange that instead
    the USA bring all manners of plagues down on us, we in Scotland must have something going for us if the US Energy Secretary, Steven Chu should turn up here despite Megrahi

  • Comment number 19.

    Be carefull, Douglas.
    You'll earn yourself an MBE, DSM, Victoria Cross and a Peerage at this rate for 'services to the State'

  • Comment number 20.

    Succinct and to the point Harry Stottle!

    Do the folk at B³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Scotland actually believe any of the stuff they write or report?
    Could there be a revolution lead by some brave churnalist who has already paid off his mortgage,and has enough to get him/her by with funds aplenty in the bank without the need to produce continuous anti SNP , anti Scotland and anti Salmond drivel ?

    Do they , a long with a few others in the newspaper world actually realise they are beginning to look like a bunch of out of step numpties?

  • Comment number 21.

    i understand that most passagers on the titanic wanted on the lifeboats, but Scotland has a media determined to go down with the ship.
    thats fine with me, but i would rather they did not try and claim there is any virtue in it and try and hang on to the rest of us on the way down .

  • Comment number 22.

    sorry but i've never read such a NON story as this one, its not worth commenting on other than to say its not worth commenting on. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ are really getting to the bottom of the anti independence angle barrel.

  • Comment number 23.

    "Washington's Too Busy for Scottish Energy" no Douglas "Westminster Too Busy for Scottish Economy" is far nearer to the truth. The FM is far to busy trying to benefit Scotland than act as a stooge for the UK's pretentions of being what they are not. Scotland has given up from wiping the UK's backside as the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ continually does aided and abetted by the likes of yourself and Pacific Quay inhabitants. Scotland rejoiced at the release of the "innocent" Al-megrapi as many opinion polls showed no matter what your employers tried to portray to satisfy their so called friends in the White House.

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