SCOTLAND’S ambition to generate 100% of its electricity needs from renewable sources could be undermined by draft energy plans to be laid out by the UK Government, WWF Scotland warned today.
The environmental group made the call ahead the publication today of the UK Government’s draft Energy Bill which aims to reform the electricity market to keep the lights on and cut climate change emissions.
WWF warned that a number of rumoured aspects of the proposed bill were of particular concern:
- Introduction of a system of low carbon generation revenue support designed to subsidise nuclear power – a technology that has received huge amounts of public funds for years and years
- Introduction of an Energy Performance Standard (EPS) for new fossil fuel power stations which is so weak that it simply results in a ‘dash for gas’ that would threaten Scotland’s climate change targets and undermine support for renewables.
Commenting ahead of the draft Bill, WWF Scotland’s director Dr Richard Dixon, said: “Fixing the UK energy system in favour of dirty nuclear and gas power instead of clean renewables and energy efficiency is not what the country needs or wants. Opinion polls show that the public wants to see increased use of renewables and energy saving, not more money thrown after bad on nuclear power and fossil fuels.
“Any moves to prop up a new nuclear build or ends in a dash for gas will undermine Scotland’s ambition to generate 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources and waste our huge natural advantage in clean energy.
“The Scottish Parliament must strongly resist an electricity market rigged in favour of nuclear and take steps to toughen up any weak Energy Performance Standard (EPS) which would simply lead to a dash for gas.”
