Scottish Renewables has called for “urgent clarity” on how Great British (GB) Energy will support the Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland in growing its renewables base.
Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said: “Scottish Renewables welcomes today’s announcement which has provided more detail on the role that the UK Government hopes GB Energy will play in the energy market.
“The ambition to fast-track renewable energy deployment recognises the critical role that our industry will play in decarbonising the economy and creating greater energy resilience and ultimately cheaper energy bills, but we still have so much to do to get there.
“Any measures to reduce the time it takes to build projects and build investor confidence will help us to maximise the significant benefits of ScotWind and the Onshore Wind Sector Deal.
“We urgently need to understand how Great British Energy will support the Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland with new development and investment in the existing and future pipeline of projects across all technologies here in Scotland.
Mack said she is pleased to see that two key areas of focus for GB Energy will be investment and support for energy supply chains as well as local energy projects.
She added that early supply chain investment will support the delivery of a pipeline of renewable energy projects and help both Scotland and the UK meet their net zero targets.
“Having suffered greatly from a lack of policy and investment support for some time, this announcement offers local and smaller energy schemes a significant stake in the transition to net-zero as owners and important stakeholders in local clean power projects,” she said.
James Alexander, CEO at UKSIF, said: “Cutting project timelines is crucial to get investment flowing into UK renewables again, after many investors have been historically put off the UK because of unworkably long project wait-times, effectively starving the UK of investment.
“The decision to have the public sector take on additional early development work is a positive move that will reduce risk for developers and attract greater private investment.
“One barrier this will not solve is the current inadequacy of our grid connections, which we know remains a major barrier to investment.
“UKSIF stands ready to support the implementation of these reforms and to work with government, industry, and investors to ensure the UK becomes a global leader in offshore wind.”