Scottish Government puts renewable energy at centre of economic strategy
The Scottish Government will invest £70 million to support offshore windfarms as renewable energy becomes the country's economic priority.
- By Stefan Morkis
- Published in the Courier : 13.09.11
- Published online : 13.09.11 @ 12.29pm
Finance Secretary John Swinney made the announcement as he unveiled the Government Economic Strategy, which puts green technology at the heart of economic recovery.
Mr Swinney claimed the government's plans would support the transition to a low-carbon economy capable of supporting 130,000 jobs by 2020.
He also revealed the Scottish Government is to create four enterprise zones, including sites with a focus on low-carbon manufacturing opportunities, to attract more inward investment.
Monday's announcement is a further boost to Tayside and Fife's hopes of benefiting from the anticipated boom in offshore wind. The Scottish Government has pledged all the country's electricity requirements will come from renewables by 2020.
Both areas are ideally placed to support offshore windfarms and companies such as Basque firm Gamesa have identified Dundee as a possible base.
However, the Scottish Government refused to say whether Tayside or Fife will form part of any of the new enterprise areas.
A spokeswoman said the four sites were not decided but it was hoped they could be revealed "within a couple of months".
Earlier this year Chancellor George Osborne said that 21 enterprise zones are to be created in England. They were last used in the 1980s to help regenerate deprived areas.
Mr Swinney also said the Scottish Government would create a Next Generation Digital Fund to accelerate the roll-out of superfast broadband across Scotland and use its £9 billion public procurement spending to help promote jobs and growth.
He added that capital spending would be prioritised to maximise economic impact.
He also guaranteed a place in education or training for all 16 to 19-year-olds.
Mr Swinney said: "The strategy builds on the foundations for long-term economic prosperity that we set out in 2007 and focuses our actions on six strategic priorities which will accelerate recovery, drive sustainable growth and develop a more resilient and adaptable economy."
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02.49am - 14.09.2011 S.Macd - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Swinney's claims were rubbished, openly challenged as fantasy by experts last week. The problem here is that the SNP has got away with so much and still been successful they have become even more arrogant.
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