05:15 h 05:15 h
Holyrood news News categories Rural Affairs & Environment (HCL06) Energy Minister outlines plans for Scotland | Energy Minister outlines plans for Scotland |
|
|
| Wednesday, 23 May 2007 | |
|
As the UK Energy White Paper is published today, new Scottish Minister for Energy Jim Mather has been setting out his vision for the future of energy in Scotland at the All Energy Conference in Aberdeen. Carbon capture and clean coal technologies are high up the SNP list of priorities, following a recent visit mad by First Minister Alex Salmond to Longannet in Fife, as are renewable sources such as wave and tidal energy and biomass. Mather stressed that he wanted to build consensus on the way forward on energy production, but he also reiterated the government's commitment to promoting green energy and energy efficiency. Mather said: "One of the main priorities of the new Scottish government is on sustainable growth - two words that are inseparable in relation to our energy policy. "Scotland's energy sector has long been a key driver of our economy and the aim of Scotland's new government is to make sure it continues to make this vital contribution to our economic growth. Energy must contribute to both economic development and our environmental objectives." The Scottish government's energy policy must reduce energy consumption as well as supporting low carbon technologies, as it is "abundantly clear" that Scotland has vast potential to generate electricity from renewable energy, Mather said. "We will press on urgently with giving new technologies for generating green energy the support they need. That will include the whole renewable mix - from biomass to the energy we can generate from waves and tides. "And the First Minister's visit to Longannet last week also demonstrated the contribution that can be made through clean coal technologies and carbon capture. The announcement by Scottish Power last week demonstrated that these technologies can not only reduce carbon emissions, but also extend the life of the Scottish goal field, protect jobs and boost our economy. "Another central point of our energy policy must also be to promote energy efficiency and reduce demand wherever possible. That's the agenda we are determined to push ahead with, but we are clear that we must develop our policy both with the industry and stakeholders. Together I want to identify barriers in our way and work to remove them. "We have an opportunity in Scotland to build a broader energy sector, again integrated into the global economy through export, investment and skills. Working together I am sure we will not let this chance pass." All Energy is the UK's largest renewable energy exhibition and conference, bringing together over 200 international delegates and 350 exhibitors to discuss developments in energy.
Related news items: |
|
| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 23 May 2007 ) |
| Home |
| Holyrood magazine |
| Holyrood news |
| Conferences |
| Event Management |
| Employment Opportunities |
| Your holyrood.com website |
|
Translate holyrood.com: We are now testing Google translation on holyrood.com, for more information on this service click here . We hope this will improve access for our international visitors and clients. Let us know what you think at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
