Scottish Renewables wants Scotland to be empowered with additional responsibilities after the latest poll results on independence.
The trade body has demanded Scottish and UK governments to jointly develop innovative renewables policies that balance the interests of Scotland within a single GB energy market.
After the final result of the referendum is out, both governments should work on important challenges facing the country including climate change impact. Renewables can make a significant contribution to both, said, Niall Stuart, chief executive.
The current balance of powers between Westminster and Holyrood has managed the renewables industry, but harder challenge is to achieve the target of generating the equivalent of all the power consumed by 2020, said, Stuart.
The result permits the already proved dynamic in the energy markets to go on with sustaining course and the union has developed a point of energy security, said, Tony Ward, head of power and utilities, UK and Ireland.
Recently, UK markets have developed cost-effective, integrated systems and operation procedure that serves all kind of users. Now that a political uncertainty has been warded off by the vote, situations are favorable for those who were assessing capital investments in Scotland, added, Ward.
Generally, the cost of subsidizing renewable energy has been spread across UK due to which Scotland won’t have to pay the major share, being the production hub of UK’s renewable energy.
The renewables sector still face various difficulty levels like new contract for each government, financial restraints, solar subsidy revisions and constant policy tampering.
According to the latest Renewable Country Attractiveness Index, due to uncertainty UK got slipped to seventh place as an investment target for global attractiveness.
Meanwhile, the Crown Estate has expressed willingness to take part in discussions about control of Scottish territorial waters, following the poll.
Control of territorial waters may be decentralized to Edinburgh by UK government as part of the promised election conditions.
Sabeena Wahid
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