Wednesday saw the publication of the Renewables Action Plan ("RAP") by the Scottish Government. The RAP is part of a raft of measures aimed at achieving targets set for carbon dioxide production and renewable energy generation. At present, under the Climate Change Bill, the Scottish Government has set a carbon reduction target of 42% by 2020, the highest reduction target in Europe. Similarly, a target of 20% of total Scottish energy use coming from renewable sources has been set for 2020. Within this timeframe, the aim is to produce 50% of Scotland's electricity from renewable sources.

Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of the RAP is to identify what needs to happen to reach these targets and sets out a series of milestones along the way. The focus of the RAP is on actions that are to occur over the next two years. Further actions will be identified and added to the RAP as time progresses. Indeed, the RAP is by no means a fixed entity. The proposal is to update the RAP every six months and a website will be set up to act as a portal through which to access the rapidly changing sources of information and advice from a variety of different organisations' web pages. This website will be developed at the end of the year, with the intention of it 'going live' in 2010.

Through the RAP, the Scottish Government aims to establish Scotland as a leading nation in the field of renewable energy generation and to ensure that the natural resources of Scotland are exploited to the maximum benefit for the domestic economy.

Specific actions

The key actions identified in the 100-page report cover a wide range of areas covering infrastructure, planning and consents, different renewable sources, research and analysis and the development of skills pertinent to the industry. By way of example, some key actions include:

  • Making the case to Ofgem and National Grid for a fairer transmission charging regime and undertaking work to establish how the European Commission Directive on Renewable Energy can help develop Scotland's renewable energy sector;
  • Considering the efficacy of the existing consents and planning regime and, with the UK Government, considering opportunities for reform. This will involve consultation with Local Planning Authorities and wider stakeholder groups; and
  • Working with Scottish Enterprise on a Renewable Energy Baseline Study to provide accurate estimates of employment and economic value of the renewable energy sector in Scotland. This should be undertaken in the next few months.

These examples provide a flavour of the actions proposed and demonstrate the commitment being made to the renewable energy sector. The full report can be accessed here

This article was written for Law-Now, CMS Cameron McKenna's free online information service. To register for Law-Now, please go to www.law-now.com/law-now/mondaq

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The original publication date for this article was 06/07/2009.