Energy whether fossil, renewable or other low-carbon sources is important to the viability of an independent Scotland.
Energy – electricity, heating and transport fuel – is crucial for the modern Scotland we live in. But it can also be one of our biggest threats if we don’t get them right. It can harm our environment and play a major role in causing the climate crisis.
Scotland is not well served by the UK’s National Grid and the current system restricts the development of Scotland’s renewable energy potential and leads to high charges for Scottish consumers.
This response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the future of energy in Scotland calls for a publicly owned energy company to generate and deliver energy to the people of Scotland.
This paper
― Recognises the huge economic contribution North Sea Oil and Gas have made to the Scottish economy
― UK energy policy since 1980 has failed Scotland. It has led to the six largest energy companies seeing profit margins rise 4.48% since 2016, with 34.9% of households in Scotland currently facing fuel poverty.
― Common Weal strongly disagrees with the proposal to end export and generation tariffs for renewable energy on 31st March 2019.
― Doing so will be irrevocably harmful to the renewable industry with the solar industry likely to be badly affected.
― The aims of the European Union’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which requires EPCs to be produced for all new buildings and those being sold or rented out, are fundamentally sound and should serve to drive improvements in energy performance.
― We have identified no examples of low-carbon heating being taken up on a large scale without government assistance.
― The primary barrier to the roll-out of low carbon heat is financial. Efficient schemes like renewably powered district heating will have to be government financed.
― The Scenarios presented overestimate the number of electric cars likely to be in use in Scotland by 2050 due to underestimating the rise of home working, car sharing, internet shopping and public transport.
This independent report to the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council gives: