Katrine Bussey

MINISTERS at both ­Holyrood and Westminster must jointly pledge to improve
the grid connections to Scotland’s islands within the next few years, a
green energy chief has said.

Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, said the two
governments must commit to getting Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles
connected by 2020.

Mr Stuart, speaking at the Scottish Renewables’ marine conference in
Inverness, said: “If there is one obvious failure of the current regulation
of our industry it is the lack of grid connections to Shetland, Orkney and
the Western Isles – home to the country’s best wind resources and key to
development of wave and tidal power.

“We want to see the Scottish and UK governments commit to getting the
islands connected before 2020. This will allow the islands to contribute to
the cleaning-up of our energy sector, while benefiting from the jobs and
investment that would follow.”

He was speaking as Scottish Renewables published a paper setting out the
way ahead for the £1 billion-a-year green energy sector.

It calls on the Scottish and UK governments to agree a joint strategy
document, setting out energy policy for the UK and the role devolved
administrations can play.

It also wants the Scottish Government to be given a formal role in the
strategy and policy document of the UK Department of Energy and Climate
Change (DECC), which gives strategic direction to regulator Ofgem.

The Scottish Parliament should have a formal role in holding Ofgem to
account for its regulatory decisions in Scotland, with an annual session
where MSPs can quiz the chief executive, Scottish Renewables suggested.

Mr Stuart said: “Given the importance of the contribution Scotland and the
other devolved nations will make to the UK’s energy ambitions, and the
growing importance of the sector to all our economies, we believe it is
time for a more ­co-ordinated and strategic approach to the formation of
energy policy across the UK.”


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