By Renewable Energy Focus staff

Niall Stuart, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said: “Scotland’s commitment to renewable energy is paying dividends: The sector is now a major part of our energy mix and a significant part of our economy.

“However, there are still fundamental and complex challenges to overcome to create the right climate for investment, not least on grid, markets and marine planning. The next five years will be crucial in determining progress to 2020 and beyond, and we must take nothing for granted.”

Scottish Renewables has called on the Scottish Government to:

• Use its powers over the Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) bandings in Scotland to maintain investor confidence in the industry;
• Put in place a mechanism which will support marine energy projects to move closer towards commercially justifiable investments;
• Prioritise new pumped storage facilities through the National Planning Framework process; and
• Continue to press for significant investment in new grid connections and a charging framework which encourages investor confidence.

Scottish Renewables also repeated its calls for the release of the Scottish Fossil Fuel Levy fund to help increase the public sector support for renewables.