The Scottish government has committed to reviewing energy consenting in an updated climate plan looking at the country’s path to hit net zero by 2045.
An updated Electricity Generation Policy statement is expected by 2022 “reflecting the contribution that renewable electricity generation is likely to have to achieving our Net Zero target”, it said.
The paper published today, Update to the Climate Change Plan: Securing a Green Recovery on a Path to Net Zero, lays out plans to take a “Whole System Energy Approach”, encouraging joined-up and collaborative thinking across sectors, particularly with regards to emerging technologies related to hydrogen, bioenergy and Negative Emissions Technologies.
Edinburgh has committed in the paper to updating its Energy Strategy next year, setting out the role of electricity generation in the wider energy system.
It will also launch a call for evidence and views on technologies including energy storage, smart grid technologies and “technologies to deliver sustainable security of supply”.
A Hydrogen policy statement and action plan are also expected in 2021 while a new £180m Emerging Energy Technologies Fund will support hydrogen and CCS development.
Scottish Renewables welcomed the update, which it said “addresses a number of barriers which Scottish Renewables and its members have identified as barriers to net-zero, and as such its publication is warmly welcomed”.
Scottish Renewables policy director Morag Watson added that its commitment to ensuring Scotland has a flexible, responsive electricity system powered by renewables was “good news”, as was a pledge to reduce timescales for consenting complex electricity generation and transmission infrastructure upgrades.
“We are also pleased to see the introduction of a framework of support to deliver a step-change in emerging technologies and support the commercialisation of renewable energy generation, storage and supply,” she said.