Energy policy of Scotland

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The closure of the Longannet power station in March 2016 ended coal-fired power production in Scotland.{{cite news| url = https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-35882883| title = Longannet switch-off ends coal-fired power production in Scotland - BBC News| work = BBC News| date = 24 March 2016}}

{{main|Renewable energy in Scotland}}

File:Windmills and Ailsa Craig aka Paddy's Milestone rotated.jpg

The production of renewable energy in Scotland is an issue that has come to the fore in technical, economic, and political terms during the opening years of the 21st century.See for example: Scottish Executive (2005) Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy. Edinburgh. The natural resource base for renewable energy is extraordinary by European, and even global standards, with the most important potential sources being wind, wave, and tide.

At the end of 2011, there was 4,796 megawatts (MW) of installed renewables electricity capacity in Scotland, an increase of 9.5 per cent (416 MW) on the end of 2010. Renewable electricity generation in 2011 was a record high at 13,750 GWh - an increase of 44.5 per cent on 2010. Around 35 per cent of Scotland’s electricity came from renewables in 2011, exceeding the Scottish Government’s target of 31 per cent. Scotland contributed almost 40 per cent of the UK’s renewables output in 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2012/03/geenenergytargets29032012 |title=Scotland beats 2011 green energy target |date=29 March 2012 |work=The Scottish Government |access-date=1 April 2012}}

Continuing improvements in engineering and economics are enabling more of the renewable resources to be utilised. Fears regarding "peak oil" and climate change have driven the subject high up the political agenda and are also encouraging the use of various biofuels. Although the finances of many projects remain either speculative or dependent on market incentives, it is probable that there has been a significant, and in all likelihood long-term change, in the underpinning economics.Monbiot, George (2006) Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning. London. Allen Lane.

In addition to planned increases in both large-scale generating capacity and microsystems using renewable sources, various related schemes to reduce carbon emissions are being researched.{{cite web|url=http://www.peterheadhydrogenpower.com/|title=Peterhead hydrogen project|publisher=BP|access-date=2 February 2007}} Although there is significant support from the public, private and community-led sectors, concerns about the effect of the technologies on the natural environment have been expressed. There is also an emerging political debate about the relationship between the siting, and the ownership and control of these widely distributed resources.HICEC. (2006) [http://www.hie.co.uk/HICEC/HICEC-Annual_review.pdf Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company Annual Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070508221910/http://www.hie.co.uk/HICEC/HICEC-Annual_review.pdf |date=2007-05-08 }}. (PDF). Inverness. Retrieved on 31 August 2007.

A continuing political debate surrounds the uptake and the incentivisation schemes available for renewable technologies in Scotland.{{cite web| url = https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/increasing-the-use-of-low-carbon-technologies/supporting-pages/renewable-heat-incentive-rhi| title = 2010 to 2015 government policy: low carbon technologies - GOV.UK}} There are tensions over the disparity in costs between renewable installations in Scotland compared to those in England with suggestion that this should be recognised by the UK government.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}

{{main|Nuclear power in Scotland}}

When the UK Government announced an energy review in early 2006, the Scottish National Party (SNP) and others made clear their view that Scotland did not need new nuclear power stations.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4634878.stm Call to halt nuclear power plans] BBC January 23, 2006 By January 2008, when the UK Government gave the go-ahead for a new generation of nuclear power stations to be built across the UK, the SNP formed the Scottish Government and First Minister Alex Salmond made clear there was "no chance" of more nuclear power stations being built in Scotland.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7179579.stm|title=New nuclear plants get go-ahead|date=January 10, 2008|via=news.bbc.co.uk}} The Government's stance was backed by the Scottish Parliament which voted 63-58 to support the Scottish Government's policy of opposing new nuclear power stations.[http://news.scotsman.com/nuclearenergy/MSPs-vote-No-to-new.3686900.jp MSPs vote No to new nuclear stations] The Scotsman January 18, 2008

A proposed 400 kV upgrade to the existing 132 kV transmission network,{{cite web| url = https://www.ssepd.co.uk/BeaulyDenny/| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140518225553/http://www.ssepd.co.uk/BeaulyDenny/| archive-date = 2014-05-18| title = Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution - Beauly Denny}} seen as key to future expansion[http://www.bwea.com/media/news/070205.html BWEA position on Beauly Denny] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120720183006/http://www.bwea.com/media/news/070205.html |date=2012-07-20 }} Retrieved 2 April 2008. was held up in planning[http://www.beaulydenny.co.uk/ Beauly Denny Public Inquiry website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120912065954/http://www.beaulydenny.co.uk/ |date=2012-09-12 }}, Retrieved 2 April 2008. for three years. There was vocal opposition from some sectors{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20101025104952/http://www.pylonpressure.com/More-Powerlines-g.asp Pylon Pressure website - Beauly Denny]}} Retrieved 2 April 2008. and strong support from other sectors.[http://www.beaulydenny.org/bdfriends.pdf Friends of the Beauly Denny Power Line Upgrade]{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Objections were principally on the basis of the visual impact of the pylons running through the edge of the Cairngorms National Park. 53 km of the 132kV line inside the park was taken down and not replaced.{{cite web|url=https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/news-views/articles/2017/1/cairngorms-capers-and-the-disappearing-towers/|title=Cairngorms capers and the disappearing towers|publisher=SSE|date=24 January 2017|access-date=12 March 2017|archive-date=13 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313132006/https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/news-views/articles/2017/1/cairngorms-capers-and-the-disappearing-towers/|url-status=dead}} The 220 km circuit will run from Beauly, west of Inverness to Denny, west of Falkirk near Edinburgh.

In 2008, the first major independent study associated with the Scottish Government’s renewable energy targets concluded that the upgrade of the Beauly-Denny power line will be a key to future development.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/978401?UserKey=|title=Power-line opponents dealt blow by independent study|website=The Press and Journal}}

In January 2010, the Scottish Government approved the upgrade to the Beauly to Denny transmission line,[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8447317.stm New offshore wind farm contracts announced] BBC News, 8 January 2010 which was energized by Christmas 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sse.com/news-and-views/2015/12/beauly-denny-delivers-power-super-highway-between-the-highlands-and-the-central-belt/|title=Beauly-Denny delivers power super-highway between the Highlands and the Central Belt | SSE|website=www.sse.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/beauly-denny/|title=Beauly Denny Line|publisher=SSE|access-date=12 March 2017|archive-date=3 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003055256/http://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/beauly-denny/|url-status=dead}}

• North Sea oil
• Nuclear power in Scotland
• Renewable energy in Scotland

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110805144618/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/eet/reports-09/eer09-07-vol01-01.htm Determining and delivering on Scotland's energy future], Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee Report 2009
• [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/237670/0065265.pdf Scottish Government Energy Policy Overview] September 2008
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110511144426/http://www.scdi.org.uk/energy/policy.html Scotland's Energy Future: Policy] scdi.org.uk
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110706111118/http://www.eas.org.uk/default.php Energy Action Scotland]
• [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Action/leading/Energy-In-Europe Energy Policy For Europe]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061129112301/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-comm-04/cent04-005.htm Enterprise Committee Calls for Fully-Fledged Scottish Energy Policy]

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Category:Climate change policy

Category:Energy in Scotland

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