Record year for renewables

AN EXTRA 45 per cent of renewable energy was generated in Scotland last year, compared with 2010.

Energy minister Fergus Ewing said new Department of Energy and Climate Change statistics meant 35 per cent of Scotland’s electricity needs came from renewables in 2011, assuming that gross consumption in 2011 was similar to 2010.

This surpasses the Scottish Government’s target of 31 per cent for last year. Mr Ewing said: “It’s official: 2011 was a record-breaker, with enough green electricity being produced in Scotland to comfortably beat our interim target.

“And Scotland met almost 40 per cent of the UK’s renewables output in 2011, demonstrating just how much the rest of the UK needs our energy.

“Scotland is a genuine world leader in green energy.”