Scotland will seek views on the future of onshore wind development in the country including an ambition to make it “the first area in the UK to host subsidy-free” projects.
The measure is included in a draft Scottish Energy Strategy published today and detailing a new target of delivering 50% of the energy required for heat, transport and electricity from renewables by 2030.
A draft Onshore Wind Policy Statement was published alongside the wider strategy seeking input on route to market, repowering, new development and barriers to deployment.
The strategy said that by 2050 the country will have “a modern, integrated energy system that delivers reliable, low carbon energy at affordable prices to consumers in all parts of Scotland”.
The vision will be support by the award next month of up to £50m in funding for 13 low-carbon and renewables projects.
Other measures on which views are being sought are the role of offshore wind, including floating installations; the development of large-scale storage including pumped-hydro; the “delivery of smart local energy systems” and the establishment of a Scottish government owned energy company.
Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “The Scottish Government is determined to support a stable, managed transition to a low carbon economy in Scotland, recognising the very real need to decarbonise our heat supplies and transport system. The oil and gas sector will continue to play a vital role during that transition, because our economy will continue to require hydrocarbons over this period.
“In particular, the renewable energy sector . . . has the potential to grow even further, helping us meet our climate change targets through extending our success in decarbonising electricity supplies to secure a step-change in decarbonising energy for heat and transport.
Consultation on the draft document runs until 30 May. Documents are available here.
For full in-depth coverage of the new strategy see this week’s issue of subscriber-only newsletter reNEWS.
Image: the Scottish parliament (Klaus)
