Toni Ramage leads on our joint venture Foster Turner Hydro, in which role she supported BBC news coverage about challenges facing particular sections of the renewables sector.
Here, Toni sets out her reflections on the process and what it means for raising issues on even niche or complex stories.
Earlier this year I had an unexpected appearance on BBC news. It was a thought-provoking experience, starting simply when I was helping put together a LinkedIn article about the challenges facing small-scale hydro in Scotland.
A few months later, I was bouncing around a Highland hillside in a pickup truck with a BBC reporter and camera operator, standing in the rain and talking about energy policy on the evening news.
The first thing that surprised me was how much preparation went into it. We spent a lot of time talking with Kevin Keane, BBC Scotland’s energy and environment correspondent, about different voices we could involve and how we could help frame the piece. That was a real learning point for me. It showed that the media can be on your side and that you can help them tell a story.
Finding a reporter who was genuinely interested in the story and keen to understand the challenges facing small-scale hydro was absolutely key. Kevin grasped the issues and what we were asking of policymakers. I was really impressed with him and he helped simplify what is actually quite a complex story, with lots of technical terminology and a fairly niche policy problem.
I was surprised by how little of the day was actually spent being interviewed. After all the preparation, the interview itself lasted only a few minutes. Looking back, that makes perfect sense. If everyone understands the story and the key messages beforehand, there is no need for hours of footage.
The filming itself was great fun. We spent the day in the Highlands visiting one potential hydro site and another that’s already a success, filming in some fairly classic Scottish weather and trying to show people what these projects can look like in practice.
The rain was relentless, which, if nothing else, was a pretty good reminder of why hydro has such potential in Scotland.
Most people can see a wind turbine turning or solar panels on a roof. Hydro is much less visible. Yet it has an important role to play in Scotland’s future energy system, particularly because it can provide reliable generation and storage alongside other technologies.
The growth of lower-cost technologies such as solar and wind is obviously positive, but they are not the complete answer. We need a balanced energy system that includes a range of technologies. Hydro is the one we’re interested in, but the broader point is that different technologies have different strengths and all have a role to play.
I’m proud of how it came across in the news and pleased with the final result. I’m even happier the government has said >5MW hydro schemes will be moved pot in the AR8 contracts for difference process. This improves our chance of pricing support with our current construction although we’ll continue to lobby for <5MW schemes to be treated similarly.
If you think you have a story worth telling, don’t assume it is too niche or too technical for a wider audience. Find people who are interested in understanding it. Be prepared to explain why it matters. And if the opportunity grows into something much bigger than you expected, embrace it.