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Scotland’s renewable energy success

About 35% of Scotland’s electricity needs would have come from renewables last year – assuming consumption levels were similar to 2010. This would exceed the Scottish Government’s interim target of 31%….. ”particularly encouraging when you consider that 2011 saw the highest output from renewable energy to date”.

The sector also already employs 11,000 people in Scotland

Renewable energy production doubles http://www.strathearnherald.co.uk/strathearn-news/scottish-news/2012/06/28/renewable-energy-production-doubles-64054-31281154/ Jun 28 2012 Scotland produced a record amount of renewable energy last year, almost double the total from five years ago, according to UK Government figures.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change says 13,735 gigawatt
hours of renewable energy were generated in Scotland in 2011, up 44.3%
on the previous year and up 97.3% on 2006.
Provisional figures for the first quarter of this year show another
big increase in renewables output to a total of 4,590 gigawatt hours,
up 45.5% compared with the first three months of 2011. Installed
renewable capacity in the first quarter of this year amounted to 435
megawatts, up 9.8% on 12 months ago.
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said the figures show that renewable
energy generation in Scotland is “going from strength to strength”.
Great progress is being made towards the goal of generating the
equivalent of 100% of the country’s electricity needs from renewable
sources by 2020, he said.
About 35% of Scotland’s electricity needs would have come from renewables last year – assuming consumption levels were similar to 2010. This would exceed the Scottish Government’s interim target of 31%.
Mr Ewing described the 45.5% increase in renewable output between 2011
and 2012 as “particularly encouraging when you consider that 2011 saw
the highest output from renewable energy to date”.
He added: “Scotland has astounding renewable energy potential, and the
Scottish Government is committed to ensuring every community in
Scotland benefits from the opportunities of renewable energy.”
Projects representing £750 million-worth of investment were switched
on in 2011, with a further £46 billion of investment in the pipeline,
he said.
The sector also already employs 11,000 people in Scotland, Mr Ewing
said. He added: “Renewable energy is already delivering jobs,
investment and opportunities for the people of Scotland. Scotland is a
genuine world leader in green energy and our targets reflect the scale
of our natural resources, the strength of our energy capabilities and
the value we place on creating new, sustainable industries.”

June 29, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable