UK Energy Minister Michael Fallon today praised the efforts of ScottishPower Energy Networks’ engineers who have responded to a number of severe storm force weather events over the course of the winter. The company’s network areas have experienced some of the worst winter storms, including the UK’s most severe weather event of the year where wind speeds in excess of 100mph were recorded in North Wales in February. The Minister was speaking at ScottishPower’s training headquarters in Cumbernauld at a ceremony to mark the start of work on a £1.3 billion project sub-sea electricity connection.

 Energy Minister Michael Fallon said: “I want to salute the scale of Iberdrola’s investment, it is very welcome to us. I would also like to thank the ScottishPower workers who worked so hard during the recent storms and floods. I’m very conscious of the efforts of people in this room and the teams that they have been working with, in very difficult circumstances and at a time of the year they would have rather been with their families, so on behalf of the (British) Government, a very big thank you to all.”

 Iberdrola and ScottishPower Chairman Ignacio Galan, said;  “I want to recognise the magnificent job carried out by our employees to restore electricity supplies after the festive storms and, more recently, those in February. The multibillion pound investment we are making in the UK only goes so far, without the commitment of  ScottishPower people. We are very proud that the efforts of those ScottishPower people  are being recognised by the British Government.”