The Scottish Government Policy:
The Scottish Government is committed to promoting the increased use of renewable energy sources. This commitment recognises renewables' potential to support economic growth. It also provides new opportunities to enhance our manufacturing capacity and to provide new employment, not least in the remote and rural areas. This Government has set clear targets for renewable electricity.
Scotland’s energy target is now for renewable sources to generate the equivalent of 100 per cent of Scotland's gross annual electricity consumption by 2020. Similarly, a target has been set for renewables sources to provide the equivalent of 11 per cent of Scotland's heat demand by 2020.
An increase in the amount of renewable energy generation (electricity and heat) as a means of reducing carbon emissions can help our efforts to tackle climate change. The Scottish Government's Climate Change Act, which came into force in June, sets a target of reducing emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, including emissions from international aviation and shipping. It also sets a world-leading interim target for a 42 per cent cut in emissions by 2020.
Scotland's pursuit of its huge renewable energy potential has been very successful to date. The installed capacity of renewable electricity generation overtook nuclear in 2007, which was celebrated on Green Energy Day - 7 September 2007. The Government wants targets to be exceeded rather than merely met, and not to be viewed as a cap on what renewables can deliver. It is important that momentum towards the 2020 target and beyond is maintained.
For further details please go to:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Energy-sources/19185/17612/
Scottish First Minister recently commented upon the UK Government's proposal on new nuclear power stations, rejecting them for Scotland as we are focusing on renewable energy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8001526.stm
