Scottish First Minister Delivers Key Note Speech At Scottish Green Energy Awards.

Scotland’s communities are now benefiting by £10 million every year thanks to renewable energy projects, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced. In the keynote speech to the Scottish Green Energy Awards, the First Minister said the figures highlighted the Scottish Government’s commitment to renewable energy and ensuring communities benefit from energy developments.

However, she warned that the recent attacks on support for renewable energy by the UK Government will make further increasing these benefits more difficult.

In advance of her visit to the UN Climate Change talks the First Minister also highlighted how Scotland’s success in developing renewables is contributing to the fight to tackle climate change.

The £10 million milestone is recorded in the latest update of the Scottish Government’s Community Benefit Register, which records the income communities receive from renewable energy projects. These range from large scale wind farms such as Whitelee, the UK’s largest onshore wind farm, to small farm and community projects. She said:

“Our national guidance has encouraged developers to increase the value of the community benefits they offer. Communities across Scotland are now receiving over £10 million a year from onshore renewable projects. That figure is set to rise.

“Local energy now helps to fund energy efficiency schemes, fuel poverty alleviation programmes and befriending projects which reduce isolation for elderly people. They meet local priorities because they are run by local communities.”

Woolfords, Auchengray and Tarbrax Improvement Foundation (WAT IF) is a community charity in South Lanarkshire which receives £51,000 per year from the Muirhall Wind Farm Extension to support implementation of a local community action plan.

Development officer Jemma Black said: “The sustainable income we receive from the Muirhall Energy project allows us to deliver community initiatives such as a community minibus trial, which is helping us to research and plan for better rural transport, and the renovation of the local hall and car park which is a vital resource.

“Having a long-term fund for our community is fantastic as it gives us the opportunity to deliver the local residents’ vision for their communities, and allows us to support many local groups through easy-to-access grant schemes.”

Chris Morris, Local Energy Scotland manager said: “We are delighted to see that the income communities receive from renewable energy projects is now over £10 million per year and the register is available on our website.

“We provide a range of support through the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme to help communities to maximise the local benefit from renewable energy whether that’s support to a community to build their own small hydro power scheme or help them to invest in a commercial wind farm.”

Ms Sturgeon also warned that the UK Government must review its policies to ensure energy security by investing in new technologies.

She spoke about the need to look at more renewable alternatives as she prepares to head to France to promote Scotland’s track record of action on climate change.

“I’ve been left astonished by the UK Government’s decision to cut its subsidies to renewables. For those of you in the sector, the sense of frustration must be even stronger.

“And that frustration must be compounded when you see the UK Government tying itself to a very expensive 35 year contract for nuclear generation – when it could be supporting new renewable technology whose costs will continue to come down over time.

“It’s deeply disappointing that when countries should be looking at greener, cleaner alternatives, the UK Government continues to rely on gas and nuclear. It is going backwards on energy policy when it should be taking a lead.

“Global leaders are gathering in Paris for the international climate change summit. I’ll be speaking at a number of events there on Monday. And I’ll be making it clear that Scotland is absolutely committed to tackling climate change and promoting climate justice.

“In many ways, in fact, we are setting the benchmark the international community needs to match. We are on course to achieve our 42% emissions reduction target for 2020 – which is among the most testing in the world. In fact, since 1990 we have outperformed the UK as a whole and the EU average for emissions reductions.

“Advances in how we produce and use energy are central to that, and it’s important to acknowledge just how much we have already achieved.

“Although UK government policy does not always make it easy, I can guarantee that we will continue to give the renewable sector the support it needs in order to innovate and succeed.”