Leading Perth-based energy firm SSE has submitted proposals for Scotland’s Energy Future.
It has made six recommendations to inform the Scottish Government’s emerging energy strategy which looks to ‘optimise Scotland’s significant energy resources and expertise, de-carbonise its energy system, and put communities at the heart of new investment’.
SSE employs around 7,000 people in Scotland and supports a further 10,000 jobs through its business operations.
Having contributed more than £7 billion to the Scottish economy over the past five years, it plans to invest a further £6bn in the years to 2020.
A significant proportion of its future investment programme is allocated to large-scale Scottish infrastructure projects including the Caithness–Moray electricity transmission line, onshore wind farm projects across Scotland and the 588 MW Beatrice offshore wind farm in the Moray Firth.
Maintaining a GB-wide energy market is central to SSE’s position on the future of energy in Scotland.
The strategy paper also calls for:
- heat use in Scotland to be decarbonised by increasing the use of district heating systems;
- the stock of electric storage heaters be improved to aid in the decarbonisation of heat;
- the success of onshore wind in Scotland to be developed through repowering and extending existing sites;
- maximising opportunities in large-scale pumped storage projects;
- supporting community investment and ownership in energy projects; and
- helping to tackle household fuel poverty through improved energy efficiency measures.
SSE says the Scottish Government’s new energy strategy comes at the right time to help enable Scotland to maximise benefits from innovation, cost reductions and new technologies.
This could mean major improvements for the energy system and make a positive difference to energy consumers across Scotland.
SSE has outlined proposals intended to support the Scottish Government and devise a strategy that optimises energy resources, de-carbonises Scotland’s energy system, and puts customers and communities at the heart of new investment.
SSE says that with the energy system in Great Britain facing unprecedented changes, the Scottish Government’s strategy needs to be enduring and robust if it is to plot an energy course for Scotland out to 2050.
