Our annual renewables seminar, where professionals from all over Scotland working in various areas of the energy sector get together to discuss the most important issues facing the industry, has become an important opportunity to address the current issues facing clients.

Last year, our event coincided with global climate summit COP26, which Glasgow was also playing host to at the time. Since then, it’s fair to say the sector has become even busier, and the importance of the renewables industry is more significant to our firm than ever before.

There is a renewed focus on growing the renewables economy and leaders seem to be increasingly aware of the fact that the decarbonisation of the energy market is not just the morally and ecologically sound thing to do, but it also makes the most sense economically.

Fraser Gillies is Managing Partner at Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP.

It’s clear that renewable energy is likely to play a central role in Britain’s economy and recovery over the next decade. For obvious reasons, current events have brought questions about the UK’s energy system into sharp focus.

An issue which isn’t new but which features increasingly is the challenge of navigating the planning system and the dynamic nature of the policy environment. On a practical level, projects are becoming more challenging, with more sites having a greater number of different constraints to deal with than ever before.

Other developments we’ve seen include a focus on co-location of different technologies on the same site, and a significant increase in the need for advice on extensions to and repowering of existing projects as some of the earliest wind farms approach the end of their existing consents.

With so many developments taking place in the industry, our seminar is timely for many reasons. Scotland has aspired to lead the way in the renewables sector for quite some time, although in some respects, the potential – including in relation to the supply chain – hasn’t been fully realised. Nonetheless energy in general and how we generate, distribute, and pay for it has clearly come to the forefront and is likely to be a key challenge for the remainder of this decade and beyond.

Our renewables conference is an excellent opportunity for those working in the field to get together with like-minded professionals and their peers to take stock of where we are and where things are going in the sector. Our panel of expert speakers will be discussing the upcoming major developments and challenges that lie ahead as well as the major policy changes on the horizon. I think it will be a fantastic event and I'm thoroughly looking forward to hearing insights from the various experts.

Fraser Gillies is Managing Partner at Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP

Wright Johnston & Mackenzie hosts its annual renewables seminar on Thursday 10 November at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall. Places are free and can be booked by emailing [email protected]

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Renewable energy will play central role in economy over next decade - Fraser Gillies