Fergus Ewing, the Scottish Government's Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, has today launched the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland. The plan sets out various actions and strategies to enable achievement of the bold ambition for Scotland to produce enough renewable energy to supply 100% of the nation's demand for electricity and 11% of the nation's demand for heat by 2020.
Building upon the Scottish Renewables Action Plan 2009, new targets have been unveiled to see 30% of Scotland's overall energy requirements produced from renewables by 2020 and for 500MW of community and locally-owned renewable energy to be delivered by 2020.
The new plan recognises challenges such as those relating to costs and access to finance, planning and consents, grid capacity and charges, fuel sources, skills, supply chain and infrastructure, innovation and public engagement. However, the enormous potential Scotland has to generate green energy, as well as the opportunity for Scotland to be a 'European powerhouse of clean green energy' is thoroughly emphasised throughout. The importance of continuing the relationship between Government and the energy industry is also reinforced.
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