RENEWABLES INVESTMENT IN INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND IS “HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE” SAY EXPERTS
Evidence given to the ECC Select Committee today paints a stark picture for energy policy in a Independent Scotland.
According to Peter Atherton of Citigroup Global Markets, investing in Scottish renewables in an independent Scotland would become “Highly Questionable”.
Speaking about the UK wide support mechanism for renewable energy, and if it would continue in an independent Scotland Mr Atherton said:
“All the Corporates that we have spoken to in the last few months have said they will not progress with offshore wind projects unless we get that certainty”
Mr. Atherton added:
“The future UK Government has lots of choices and doesn’t have to buy the power from Scotland because there is something magical about that power; and it is not cheaper by and large than building it off the coast of Wales or buying it from elsewhere”.
This view was supported by Robert Yates of AF-Mercados EMI (who have Edinburgh offices), who added on the details of energy policy in an independent Scotland on trading ROCs:
“…the Scottish Government has not fully understood the implications and think they are locked into the UK in a way the EU Directive does not envisage.”
My opinion on all this that was covered in the Herald this week and other areas is that:
If last week’s evidence by Mr Ewing is anything to go by then Mr Yates is probably correct in his assessment that the Scottish Government has not understood the implications on energy policy if Scotland goes independent.
Last week we saw that the SNP put independence over the interests of Glasgow by hiding information regarding energy policy, and now this week we discover they put independence over the interests of the Scottish people by ignoring information regarding energy policy.
The Scottish Government seems to be deluded to think that UK customers would buy energy from an independent Scotland rather than the cheapest supply, and the SNP want to ignore the experts on this issue for ideological dreams of independence.
The SNP are so fanatically obsessed with independence that they don’t seem to care even when experts are suggesting that it may undermine the Scottish people. Does the SNP value independence higher than what’s best for Scots? On energy policy it growingly appears so.
An independent Scotland would be welcomed with open arms by big European energy companies looking to cash in at our expense on supplying the rest of the UK with energy. How is that good for Scotland?
The SNP wants all the benefits that comes from UK energy policy, but from being outside the UK. They ignore too, any knock on effects that the experts warn of by changes in a future UK’s energy policy that could disproportionately affect Scotland. It’s just crazy.
