Scotland will miss its 100% renewable electricity target set for 2020 without further investments in offshore and onshore wind, according to a new report published by Scottish Renewables.
The study shows Scotland is on course to generate the equivalent of 87% of its annual demand for power from renewables by 2020, and highlights the need for further support from the UK Government if the target is to be met.
The report comes amid press reports of a leaked letter from Amber Rudd, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, stating that the UK will miss its 2020 renewables targets.
“The industry had expected an auction round for contracts this autumn, but UK ministers postponed that, and we are still unsure if and when that will go ahead which is inevitably impacting on investor confidence across the industry,” Niall Stuart, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said.
“If we don’t start the process by next spring, the delay could fatally undermine the timeline for the projects on Scotland’s main island groups, ending prospects for major developments on the Western Isles and Shetland. It would also raise serious questions about whether the proposed offshore wind projects can make the 2020 deadline. Essentially it is this simple – if we get an allocation round next spring and enough Scottish projects are successful we can still hit the target.”
The 2020 renewable targets were announced in 2011 by Scotland’s former First Minister Alex Salmond who said at the time: “Because the pace of development has been so rapid, with our 2011 target already exceeded, we can now commit to generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of Scotland’s own electricity demand from renewable resources by 2020.”
The 2020 target is not legally binding and there are no penalties for missing it.