from Sunday Herald, 29 June 2014
A leading group of 16 academics and experts has made a powerful plea for Scotland to have much more control over its energy policy to escape Westminster’s backing for “bankrupt” nuclear power.
Energy specialists from universities in Aberdeen, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Manchester, Cardiff and London have written a joint letter to the Sunday Herald arguing that Scotland should gain control over “a large portion” of the financial incentives for renewables energy schemes like wind power.
They are also urging the establishment of a Scottish energy regulator to help renewables by encouraging investment in local electricity grids. They condemn the plans for more energy devolution by Labour, LibDem and Conservative parties as “feeble”.
But they say that the changes they are advocating can be made either under independence or increased devolution. “Scotland needs greater energy powers to escape from English advocacy of economically and politically bankrupt nuclear power and to counteract declining support from the UK government for Scottish priorities for renewable energy,” they argue (full letter below).
Their intervention has been enthusiastically welcomed by the Scottish government. “This is a devastating critique of UK energy policy from leading energy academics which blows a huge hole in the UK government’s energy policy,” said the energy minister, Fergus Ewing MSP.
“UK energy policy has resulted in Ofgem warning of the gap between electricity supply and demand tightening so much that there is an increased risk of blackouts – highlighting the huge benefits of Scotland’s electricity exports keeping the lights on south of the border,” he added.
“Across academia and industry many experts privately tell me that the UK electricity policy is a complete guddle. Now several leading academics are saying so in public.”
The joint letter was coordinated by Dr David Toke, a reader in energy politics at University of Aberdeen. “I feel the need to make this intervention because Scottish low carbon energy priorities are being overlooked by Westminster in favour of policy made for England rather than Scotland,” he said.
He warned that a future Conservative government could curb spending on Scottish renewables in favour of nuclear power and renewables in England. “This would be bad for the whole of the UK, and of course totally against Scottish priorities,” he argued.
But he stressed that the joint letter was not an endorsement of either side in the referendum debate. “The signatories will have varying opinions on a Yes or No vote, but as far as I am concerned the intervention does not necessarily imply support for Yes or No,” he said.
Another leading signatory, Professor Peter Strachan from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, warned that there was a “very real prospect” of power blackouts in the next year or two. “Scotland generates a massive surplus of electricity – more than one quarter of what it generates – and it exports much of this to England,” he said.
“Westminster has a poor record on energy. Spiraling prices, and now the very real possibility of blackouts, speaks for itself. Now is the time for Scotland to play a much bigger role in Europe, and grasp its full potential as an independent nation, with its own energy policy and regulatory bodies.”
Dr Paul Dorfman, an energy expert from University College London who also signed the letter, argued that renewable energy would power the next industrial revolution. “Scotland's vast wind energy potential will be a key resource for the country and also for export through Northern Europe,” he said.
“Given the energy policy disarray in England, it seems both practical and sensible that Scotland has more control over its own energy policy. In this context it seems logical that people use their democratic right to enable Scotland to determine its own energy future.”
Not everyone agrees, though. Colin McInnes, professor of engineering science at the University of Strathclyde, argued that energy policy should be driven by physics, engineering and economics - in that order.
“Unfortunately our current policy is driven by politics to the rather extreme goal of 100 per cent equivalent renewables and zero per cent nuclear,” he said. “We should remember that due to their long design life, new nuclear plants to the south will be delivering reliable, zero carbon energy out towards the end of the century, while our wind farms will need to be replaced within 25 years.”
The joint letter to the Sunday Herald in full
We are writing to highlight the need for Scotland to have much more control over its energy policy whether this is under independence or more devolution. Scotland needs greater energy powers to escape from English advocacy of economically and politically bankrupt nuclear power and to counteract declining support from the UK Government for Scottish priorities for renewable energy.
Two types of power over energy are essential. First, a Scottish Energy Regulator must be established with powers that include allowing Scottish electricity networks to be more pro-active in investing in upgrades in the local grids. This will allow renewable energy schemes to be set up more easily.
Second, the Scottish Government should have control of a large portion of incentives for low carbon energy. Scotland comprises a third of the British land mass and thus a sizeable share of renewable energy resources
We condemn the (so far) feeble proposals for post referendum devolution 'promised' by the unionist parties which do not include important powers, especially new powers over energy, that must form an essential part of any meaningful increase in self-determination for Scotland.
Dr David Toke, University of Aberdeen
Professor Peter Strachan, Robert Gordon University,
Professor Ian Miles, University of Manchester Business School
Professor Bryan Wynne, Lancaster University
Dr Dan van der Horst, University of Edinburgh
Dr Antje Brown, University of St Andrews
Jonathon Porritt, Forum for the Future
,
London
Dr Abhishek Agarwal, Robert Gordon University
Shaun Burnie, Gatehouse of Fleet
Dr Paul Dorfman,
University College London
Dr Keith Baker, University of Northumbria
Dr Alan Terry, University of the West of England
Dr Richard Cowell, Cardiff University
Herbert Eppel, HE Translations, Leicester
Dr David Lowry, Surrey
Dr Ian Fairlie, London
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