Draft Energy Strategy response highlights key areas for improvement

The Scottish Government must spell out in detail how it plans to meet ambitious new energy targets, industry body Scottish Renewables has said.

The member organisation prioritises the need for “clear action plans” in its response to the consultation on Scotland’s draft Energy Strategy, which was submitted yesterday (May 30).

The draft Energy Strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s vision for the future energy system in Scotland to 2050.

It includes a target that Scotland should source the equivalent of half of all the energy consumed in the country from renewables by 2030 as well as ambitious aspirations on the decarbonisation of transport, electricity and heat.

The response was discussed at a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee last week (May 23).

Lindsay Roberts, Senior Policy Manager at Scottish Renewables, said: “The high-level ambitions of decarbonising Scotland’s energy production and the vision of Scotland’s energy system outlined in the Scottish Government’s draft Energy Strategy are to be welcomed.

“It is however imperative that the Scottish Government provides clear action plans which show how the ambitious changes contained in the draft Strategy can be achieved.

“That certainty – particularly in the heat sector, which faces significant challenges – would provide confidence in market opportunities and help stimulate the private sector investments required for the targets to be met.”

Also submitted yesterday was Scottish Renewables’ response to the Scottish Government’s draft Onshore Wind Policy Statement.

In it the member organisation promotes further onshore wind development as central to achieving our climate change targets at the lowest cost. It goes on to highlight key areas where the Scottish Government could affect cost reductions and further facilitate a route to market for the technology, particularly in relation to the planning regime.

Scottish Renewables’ response to the draft Onshore Wind Policy Statement and draft Energy Strategy will be on the agenda for the organisation’s Onshore Wind and Storage & Systems Conferences, which are to be held on June 20 and 21 in Glasgow.

Other policies which the 270-member body has prioritised in its response to the draft Energy Strategy include:

• The Scottish Government maximising the use of the devolved policy levers it has available – such as planning, public procurement, building standards, business rates, innovation and project funding – to deliver the Strategy’s aims
• The Energy Strategy to target the installation of more than double current levels of renewable energy capacity by 2030, describing this as “a low-regrets option”
  The introduction of further targets setting out the proportion of heat to be delivered from renewable and low-carbon sources
• Support for a refresh of the Scottish Government’s existing transport strategy to maximise the electrification and decarbonisation of the transport system

Senior Policy Manager Miss Roberts also highlighted the inclusion of the 50% ‘all-energy’ target, saying:

“The creation of a 2030 50% ‘all-energy’ target was suggested by Scottish Renewables in our manifesto for last year’s Scottish Parliament election and is supported by all parties in the Scottish Parliament.

“Including that target in the final Energy Strategy would ensure that renewables can play a key role in meeting our climate change targets while maximising the jobs and investment that our sector can bring to Scotland.

“Our response to the consultation also calls for a renewed focus on the decarbonisation of heat and transport – which are crucial if we are to meet our climate change goals – as well as the need to maximise our green energy generation capacity to help deliver this.

“We now look forward to seeing more detail on how the Strategy will be delivered in practice and working with the Scottish Government on our joint aims for the future of Scotland’s energy sector.”

Notes:

Lindsay Roberts’ evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee can be found here

Please find on our website:
Scottish Renewables' response to the consultation on Scotland’s draft Energy Strategy
Scottish Renewables' response to the Scottish Government’s draft Onshore Wind Policy Statement
Scottish Renewables response to the consultation on Scotland's Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP), which was also submitted yesterday
More detail on Scottish Renewables’ Onshore Wind and Storage & Systems Conferences
Scottish Renewables' manifesto for last year’s Scottish Parliament election, in which a 50% ‘all-energy’ target for 2030 was suggested.