The Scottish Green Party is targetting 2GW of community and locally-owned renewables projects by 2030 as part of its manifesto for the upcoming Holyrood elections.
The party has a wider ambition of 50% of overall energy from renewables by 2030 and said Scotland has enough wind, tide and wave “to make us a world class leader in 21st century energy generation”.
The Greens are also promising to resist further cuts to renewables supports, establish a green bond to help fund expansion of the sector and increase funding for research and development.
Also on the menu is the establishment of locally-owned utility companies, the right to community buy-outs of renewables projects on large estates and a “managed transition” that will result in fossil fuel jobs shifting into “renewables and associated industries”.
“The Scottish Greens believe that by harnessing the existing transferrable skills of those currently employed in fossil fuel industries, we can can generate a sustainable energy revolution,” said candidate and spokesperson Mark Ruskell.
“By taking the lead here, we protect the skills and strengths of our workforce and businesses, and can begin to build a new energy export sector.”
Image: Scottish Parliament
Greens target Scots transformation
Locally-owned renewables at heart of manifesto call for energy shift
By EBS