Power cut in Scottish renewable revolution

Figures released by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) reveal renewable generation, particularly from sources such as hydro power, which includes wave and tidal turbines, fell in 2010 for the first time in seven years.

The Scottish Government has pledged to have all the nation’s electricity needs provided by renewables by 2020.

Earlier this week First Minister Alex Salmond described green energy as the biggest revolution since the switch from “hunter gatherer to agriculture”.

But the DECC figures last night prompted warnings the SNP government’s energy policy could jeopardise Scotland’s future supplies and that “tried and tested” sources such as nuclear must not be ditched.

CBI Scotland’s policy executive, Andrew Dyce, said: “What Scotland requires is a well-rounded energy mix – one that takes advantage of our abundant natural resources, but which also provides tried and tested sources of constant, reliable and affordable electricity for businesses across the country.”

The DECC report found electricity from renewables dropped below the 10,000 giga watt hours (GWh) mark to 9,515.3GWh last year. It stated: “The low wind speeds and rainfall during 2010 saw reductions in generation.” In England, by contrast, renewable energy generation surged ahead to almost 14,000 GWh.

Low rainfall meant hydro production fell by a third last year. And despite a sharp increase in the number of wind turbines installed, there was only a 6 per cent increase in the amount of power they produced.

Labour leader Iain Gray said: “This sudden drop in renewable energy production underlines the need for the SNP government to set interim annual targets to ensure we are on course for 2020. Alex Salmond’s overblown rhetoric on energy needs to match reality.

“This week he hailed Scotland’s renewables revolution as a ‘paradigm shift’, the greatest in 10,000 years, equivalent to the ‘change from hunter gathering to agriculture’ but he is failing to come up with the goods or even outline milestones towards 2020.

“Scotland has colossal renewable energy potential – we must seize that potential and the thousands of green jobs it will create in the process.”

The SNP administration claims renewables have the potential to attract millions of pounds of investment and support 130,000 jobs by 2020.

Tory energy spokesman Jackson Carlaw said renewables have their role to play in a “balanced energy mix”.

But he added: “We should be wary of relying too much on any one option. We also don’t know if the SNP has the powers in place to deliver on its renewables pledge.

“If there is any doubt, then not only was it misleading to trumpet this policy during the election when it was by no means certain it could be delivered – hardly a first for the SNP – but it is also irresponsible to rule out nuclear power as part of a balanced energy mix.”

SNP ministers have consented for 44 renewable projects since 2007, more than double the last four years of the previous administration, totalling 2.5GW of renewables capacity. Scotland has more than 5800 megawatts of renewables capacity operating or under construction.

About 20 per cent of electricity currently comes from renewable sources in Scotland, mainly hydro and onshore wind farms.

A Scottish Government spokesman said that all renewable technology increased its output last year in Scotland other than hydro, reflecting the fact that it was the driest year since 2003.

He also pointed to recent figures that indicated renewables generation has increased significantly in 2011, with UK onshore wind energy generation up 111 per cent on the same period last year and hydro up by 74 per cent.

He added: “We have ambitious renewables targets and we are making progress. We are on track to reach our interim target of 31 per cent of our electricity needs from renewables this year and can be confident that we will generate the equivalent of 100 per cent of our needs by 2020.”

Scotland has 25 per cent of the estimated total wind and tidal energy capacity for the European Union.

Marine energy sites in the Pentland Firth and Orkney have been agreed for lease totalling 1.6GW, involving six wave and five tidal stream sites.

Former US vice-president and climate campaigner Al Gore strongly praised Scotland for the lead it has taken on renewable energy during an appearance at the Low Carbon Investment conference in Edinburgh this week.

Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, said: “The figures show that even in an exceptionally dry and calm year, renewables provided over 30 per cent of all electricity consumed in Scotland. This reinforces that the sector is now a major part of our energy mix, and a significant part of our economy.

“Our hydro sector met more than 10 per cent of sales to consumers.”

Earlier this month, the Scottish Government placed its ambition to transform the nation into a low-carbon economy at the heart of its new strategy for growth. A £70 million government renewable infrastructure fund to help boost private investment in the sector was set out at the time.

But experts have warned the commitment to creating a renewable energy powerhouse could be a “white elephant” and that millions of pounds in subsidies pouring into the sector are unjustified.

The DECC figures yesterday also showed the second quarter of this year saw some of the sharpest falls on record of oil and gas production from under UK waters.

Oil production was down by 16 per cent and gas by 25 per cent compared with the second quarter of 2010. This was attributed to planned maintenance as well as emptying oil reservoirs.

Mr Gray said this undermined a fundamental argument for independence.

“The SNP’s entire economic case for separation is based on oil revenues – one of the most volatile commodities in the world,” the Labour leader added.

“With oil production falling for Scotland to rely on just one major revenue stream is at best foolhardy and, at worse, reckless.”