More than 100% of Scotland's electricity demand produced by renewables for the first time

New statistics released today (January 26) by the Scottish Government reveal that renewable energy technologies generated the equivalent of 113% of Scotland’s overall electricity consumption in 2022 — the highest recorded figures to date and a 26% increase year-on-year.

Responding, Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said:

“These record-breaking figures are a major milestone on Scotland’s journey to net-zero, clearly demonstrating the enormous potential of our world-class renewable energy resources.

"We know that increasing clean energy generation leads to significant benefits for our economy with Scotland's renewable energy industry and supply chain already supporting more than 42,000 jobs and an economic output of over £10.1 billion.

“However, with electricity demand set to rise significantly in the years ahead, we must continue to swiftly deploy renewable energy projects at scale. Not only will this provide clean, cheap energy for Scotland’s homes and businesses but also support our wider heat and transport decarbonisation ambitions.

“Maximising capacity in Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6 this year will be vital to that effort, alongside enabling the critical infrastructure and investment needed to deliver a truly home-grown clean energy system.”

 Ends

Notes:

• Scotland's gas and electricity consumption statistics for 2022 can be found here.
• In 2021, Scotland's energy consumption from the heat sector was 50.6%, while 24.8% was consumed by the transport sector and 22% from the electricity sector. Read more here.
• Read Scottish Renewables' report with the Fraser of Allander Institute on the economic impact of Scotland's renewable energy industry.