Scotland On Track To Fall Behind 100% Target, UK To Fall Behind As Well
A new report has shown that Scotland is on track to miss its 100% renewable energy target if further investment is not made into onshore and offshore wind.
According to the new report, published by trade organization Scottish Renewables, Scotland’s renewable energy sector is currently only on track to generate 87% of the country’s annual demand for power by 2020, instead of the targeted 100%. Scottish Renewables, therefore, is again calling on the UK Government to increase and firm-up support for the wind industry.
The report comes amid a much-larger controversy involving the newly-positioned Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd, and a leaked letter which — despite previous statements to the contrary — states that the United Kingdom as a whole will also miss its 2020 renewable energy targets.
On Monday, it was revealed by way of a leaked inter-departmental letter that the UK was set to fall 3.5% behind its commitment to obtain 15% of its energy from renewables by 2020 — confronting news to say the least, not to mention its proximity to the upcoming UN climate negotiations set to be held in Paris at the end of this month.
Speaking before the Energy and Climate Change committee on Wednesday, Amber Rudd admitted that the letter was accurate, and that the UK simply does not have the correct policies in place necessary to achieve its publicly-stated, UN-submitted renewable energy targets.
This impacts heavily on Scotland, which has been a leading player globally in the renewable energy industry. Wind energy has continued to astound witnesses, accounting for increasingly large portions of Scotland’s daily electricity requirements.
However, if there is not governmental support for the onshore and offshore wind industries, in-place targets will not be met. Offshore wind, especially, requires the attention of government support schemes if it is to begin playing alongside stable renewable energy technologies like onshore wind and solar — not to mention the traditional fossil fuel generators.
“Scotland has come a long way in a short space of time, with supportive policies at Westminster and Holyrood delivering an incredible transformation in our electricity industry,” said Niall Stuart, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables. “The renewables sector now employs some 21,000 people, is delivering around £1 billion pounds of capital investment each year, and has displaced carbon emissions equivalent to the whole of our transport sector.”
“The 100% target has provided a powerful focus for government, industry and supporting bodies like HIE and Scottish Enterprise, and really put Scotland’s renewable energy industry on the map. However, current projections show that we’re not going to meet it unless we get more projects going ahead between now and 2020.
“There are consented schemes onshore and offshore that could get us there, but they can only go ahead if they are allocated a long term contract for their power,” Stuart added.
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
CleanTechnica Holiday Wish Book
Our Latest EVObsession Video
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.
“Speaking before the Energy and Climate Change committee on Wednesday,
Amber Rudd admitted that the letter was accurate, and that the UK
simply does not have the correct policies in place necessary to achieve
its publicly-stated, UN-submitted renewable energy targets.”
Indeed. The Tories are cockwombles.
Their policies are going to increase, not decrease CO2 emissions – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34767194 – all their ideological cutting. Not one single positive policy and lots of negative cutting. And they then lied about it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34774145.
So consequently I don’t believe this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34778098
Cockwomble ?! Word of the day for me although I’m not going to Google it, Theresa May will probably appear at the door and black bag me 😉
Despite the implications for the UK energy outlook and CC in general I have to say I am quite enjoying the kicking they are getting in the specialist / environmental press at the moment.
Unfortunately not my invention: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Cockwomble
They are indeed an Omnishambles of a government. (which I believe is from The Thick of It)
I’m going to say something controversial, I have no problems with missing a renewable energy target, meeting a target very occasionally means an exceptional achievement has been made, however more often than not what it actually means is that the target set wasn’t ambitious enough. If you set a really ambitious target and fall a little short, that’s great, more is achieved by doing that then setting a mediocre target and achieving or even exceeding it.
Except in this case, the UK target is highly mediocre and thanks to the ideological austerity cuts from Gisborne, shiny Dave and their hacks, we’re still going to miss it. And not by a small amount. By 25%.
I am referring to Scotland’s 100% of ALL electricity from renewables target being discussed in this article, hardly mediocre.
The Scottish grid is not independent of the UK grid, so whilst highly laudable, it should not be seen as being separate to some extent. The 100% is simply generating 100% of Scotland’s useage over the year. Not being 100% reliant on RE.
It should be noted that Scotland’s other power stations (gas and coal) aren’t necessarily shutting down just yet (Longannet excepted).
I expect Scotland to be closer to 100% electricity than reported here. The next step will be 100% of all energy from renewable sources.
The rest of the UK will lag behind Scotland due to Tory ineptitude.
I’m alittle confused. Scotland is kicking ass in renewables….