Discourses of power: The development of small-scale hydropower in North East Scotland

• Published in: Rural society Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 54 - 64
• Main Authors: Slee, Bill, Whitfield, Rachel, Whitfield, Stephen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Maleny Routledge 01-10-2011; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Advocacy; Agricultural Production; Alternative energy sources; Debates; Decision making; Discourse Analysis; discourses; Economic aspects; Electricity distribution; Employment Potential; Energy; Energy policy; Environmental protection; Farmers; Government (Administrative Body); Government policy; Hydroelectric power plants; hydropower; Land Use; Planning; Political Influences; Politics; Power; Rural Areas; Rural development; rural policy; Scotland; small scale production; Water; Water Supply; United Kingdom > UK; Scotland
• ISSN: 1037-1656; 2204-0536
• DOI: 10.5172/rsj.2011.21.1.54

This paper reviews the range of discourses associated with the emergent policies and practices associated with the development of micro hydropower in north East Scotland. It reviews the historic context in which water power was instrumental in providing power for a wide range of agricultural and wider rural processing activities, the explores the consequences of nationalised electric power production which led to the demise of small-scale hydropower from the 1950s and explains the resurgent interest in small-scale hydropower production. It argues that potential practitioners are confronted by a range of competing discourses and that the future development of small-scale hydropower will be mediated by the relative strength of the different discourses.