The report examined 18 wind farm sites of different sizes from across the UK. The contribution made by wind farm development, construction, operation and maintenance to the British economy was observed at local, regional and national level.

It was found that the total onshore wind market was worth  £548 million to the UK economy in the year 2011 alone. Additionally, over 9,000 jobs were supported by the industry. Perhaps even more interestingly, it was found that for every megawatt of onshore wind capacity installed in the UK £700,000 was added to GDP. Over £100,000 of which remains within the Local Authority area that the development is located.

If the UK was to achieve the target of 13GW of installed onshore wind capacity by 2020, set out in the Renewable Energy Roadmap, then the contribution to annual GDP would rise to £780 million and approximately 11,600 jobs would be supported. A figure which rises to 15,500 if ancillary jobs are included. These figures would then suggest that onshore wind is already making a major contribution to the British economy, particularly at a local level.

UK Energy Minister Ed Davey described onshore wind as “a cost effective and valuable part of the UK’s diverse energy mix”, at the publication of this report, going on to say further:

“Not only does wind power provide secure, low carbon power to homes and businesses, it supports jobs and brings significant investment up and down the country too.

“Our policies of increasing community involvement will also help to ensure the right balance between developers and community interests.

“With the cost of the technology coming down, there is a real opportunity to reap the economic benefits onshore wind can bring.”

Perhaps most interestingly, it was found that one of every three local jobs created by onshore wind developments is in the operation or maintenance sector.

Which is to say that these are long term jobs in the local area. This sort of job creation is of particular importance to Local Authorities and is very much a consideration in planning decisions.

The question of the supply chain is also raised in the report; specifically how much of the work required for onshore wind developments is carried out within the UK. It is found that many of the 8,000 components required to manufacture a turbine are, or could be, produced within this country, reaching the conclusion that; “many activities relating to the development of wind farms are already carried out by UK based businesses. As the sector develops, there are likely to be opportunities to increase this activity.”

The reports findings were greeted by RenewableUK’s chief executive Maria McCaffrey:

“This study explains why in rural areas 68% of people support wind, and 57% of those living in rural areas recognise that wind brings benefits in terms of jobs, 12% more than those in urban areas.

“Rather than feeling that wind has been imposed on them, real people across the UK are recognising the benefits of having wind in their backyard, and with Government’s help we’ll continue to build on the 8600 people employed across the country because of onshore wind, as promised by our members in the “Wind Energy Charter“.

…

“Whilst we can see that with increased deployment comes both increased value and jobs added, plus an increase in market share for the UK, if we were to only see 10GW come forward jobs will actually be lost in the development and construction phases, and there will be no increase in our market share. So it’s therefore essential for UK growth and employment to keep onshore wind progressing and revitalising communities.”

It could be argued that as the economic benefits of onshore wind become more apparent they become more difficult to refute.

A poll conducted by YouGov and commissioned by the trade body Scottish Renewables has revealed that the publicity generated by Mr Trump has served to increase support for wind power within Scotland.  The participants in the poll were asked fiver separate questions. The survey, carried out between the 12th and 17th of April this year showed that 77 per cent of the people polled felt that their views on wind power were unchanged by the media storm surrounding Mr Trump. Indeed a further 16 per cent indicated that they had become more supportive of wind power as a result of the outspoken Mr Trump’s comments. Only 4 per cent of those polled indicated that they had listened to Mr Trump and become less supportive of wind power as a result.

When asked how much weight they felt the Scottish Government should place on Mr Trump’s views on wind power 59 per cent of those polled responded with the answer ‘none’. An additional 26 per cent answered ‘not a lot’.

59 per cent strongly disagreed (37 per cent) or tended to disagree (22 per cent) with statements made by Mr Trump describing wind turbines as ‘ugly monstrosities’ and ‘horrendous machines’. 71 per cent strongly agreed (39 per cent) or tended to agree (33 per cent) with the following statement; “I support the continuing development of wind power as a part of a mix of renewables and conventional forms of electricity generation”.  The last question examined support for the Scottish Government’s 2020 100% renewable energy targets finding that 77 per cent either strongly agreed (42 per cent) or tended to agree (35 per cent) with these targets.

Niall Ferguson, chief executive of Scottish Renewables welcomed the findings of the poll:

“This poll suggests that Donald Trump’s comments on the development of wind power in Scotland have actually made some people more positive about wind power than they were before.

More than three quarters of respondents indicated their views on wind power were unchanged.

“The results also suggest that most people do not think the Scottish Government should place a huge amount of weight on Mr Trump’s views when making decisions on Scotland’s future energy policy.

“A clear majority of respondents support wind power and support our renewable energy targets.

“We think that the poll sends a clear signal to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee during their inquiry. A significant majority of people polled support the continued growth of wind power and other renewables, which together met 35 per cent of Scotland’s electricity needs in 2011.

“It’s not just the general public who support the growth of renewables as part of our energy mix – leading figures in our business and environmental sectors, as well as educational and civic groups, have all thrown their weight behind this industry.

“They see the mounting evidence that renewables are growing employment, improving training and further education opportunities, encouraging investment and helping us reach important targets to reduce our carbon emissions and tackle climate change.”

Dr Richard Dixon, director of WWF Scotland also welcomed the polls findings:

“The people of Scotland have not been fooled by Mr Trump’s sudden interest in the Scottish coastline, he was quite happy to trash an important bit of it to build his golf course in the first place. [The golf course has been constructed on an area of coastline previously designated as a Site of Specific Scientific Interest.] Mr Trump’s showbiz bluster shouldn’t be allowed to distract us from getting on with using the huge energy resources of wind, waves and tides that Scotland has been blessed with.”

The results of this YouGov poll indicate that support for wind power in Scotland remains strong, if it is not indeed continuing to grow.

The study was carried out by a team of four naturalists and ornithologists from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Scottish Natural Heritage, and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). 10 bird species were monitored across 18 different wind farm sites. The density of breeding birds and more general population trends were observed. The findings of the study were somewhat surprising as they indicated that the impact of an operational wind farm on bird populations was fairly minimal. Rather it was during the construction process that bird population levels were affected.

Martin Harper, the RSPB’s UK conservation director commented: “It shows that there can be a serious species-level impacts in the construction phase, so construction in the right place is absolutely key. But what it hasn’t shown is that wind farms are ‘bird blenders’. There is no impact from the turning of the blades.”

James Pearce-Higgins, lead author of the study and principal ecologist with the BTO: stated: “It was a bit of a surprise that the impact on wind farms seemed to be happening during construction rather than operation .

“It means we should look at ways in which these negative impacts can be minimised. The next step will be to find out whether those steps are effective.”

It is interesting to note that there were huge variations in how different species of bird were impacted by wind farms.

For example, red grouse, snipe, and curlew population levels all fell during construction. Red Grouse levels did, however, recover after construction was completed and the wind farms became operational. Other species such as the meadow pipit, golden plover, wheater, whinchat, dunlin, and the lapwing showed “either no change or less certain reactions’ to the construction and operation of wind farms. Some species, such as the skylark and stonechat, even “flourished” during construction. The varied impact of wind farm construction and operation on different species belies as the media myth that wind turbines are having a hugely negative impact on bird population levels. Other studies have produced similar results such as that carried out on a Dutch offshore wind farm which revealed that offshore wind can help to actually increase populations.

Rob Norris, spokesman for RenewableUK released the following statement welcoming the study’s findings: “Wind farm developers firmly believe that taking every possible step to protect birds is extremely important.

“That’s why they carry out stringent Environmental Impact Assessments to examine the effects a wind turbine will have on wildlife.

“This new study shows that once wind farms are up and running, they don’t have any significant impact on the local bird population. So this report should dispel the longstanding myth about wind turbines damaging birds, and as such it’s very welcome.”

Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables was equally welcoming:

“We hope this will go a long way in addressing inflammatory statements made by anti-wind farm campaigners. Onshore wind farm developers in Scotland have to complete rigorous environmental impact assessments which may include bird surveys which are then taken into consideration by the local planning authority.

“The wind industry will continue to work closely with statutory consultees including Scottish Natural Heritage to minimise the impact of habitats of animals and birds as we work to ensure the right balance between developing renewable energy projects and protecting our natural environment is met.”

The results of this study demonstrate that the impact of wind turbines on bird population levels has been overstated; particularly when the rigorous environmental assessments required for such developments is taken into account.

The Scottish Government had set a target for 31% of the country’s electric energy demand to be met by renewables by this year; currently renewables are providing 35% of the electricity used in the country. The 35% figure has been achieved by an increase in installed capacity in a variety of renewable technologies. For instance, in 2011 there was 7049 GWh (Giga-watt hours) of electricity produced from wind turbines. This was an increase of 45% from 2010 and more than double the amount generated from wind in 2007.

Hydro-electricity also saw it’s best ever year for electricity generation; producing 5310 GWh of energy. This was an increase of 62.6% from 2010 although it should be noted that 2010 was a year of comparatively low rain fall. However it was still an increase of 8.9% compared to 2009 levels; 2009 was hydro-electricity’s previous best year.

The news that the interim generation target had been surpassed was greeted with much enthusiasm. Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing remarked:

“It’s official – 2011 was a record breaker, with enough green electricity being produced in Scotland to comfortably beat our interim target. And Scotland met almost 40% of the UK’s renewable output in 2011, demonstrating how much the rest of the UK needs our energy. We are seeing great progress towards our goal of generating the equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s electricity needs from renewables by 2020.

“Projects representing £750 million of investment were switched on in 2011, with an investment pipeline of £46 billion. And since the turn of the year, we have seen Gamesa invest in Leith creating over 800 new jobs, the Green Investment Bank being head-quartered in Edinburgh and Samsung Heavy Industries announcing it will base its £100 million European offshore wind project in Methil, creating up to 500 jobs.

“Alongside securing those major developments, we have taken real steps to ensure that communities all over Scotland will benefit from the renewable energy generated in their area.

“Scotland is a genuine world leader in green energy and our targets reflect the scale of our natural resources, the strength of our energy capabilities and the value we place on creating new, sustainable industries.”

Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables:

“This is a fantastic achievement for our industry and for Scotland.

“When the interim target of 31 per cent was set it was seen as ambitious but yet again the renewables sector in Scotland has grown further and faster than predicted, achieving 35 per cent, and that’s why we are confident we can meet the 2020 target.

“These figures are further proof that this industry is a major part of our energy sector. As well as supporting 11,000 jobs in Scotland and helping attract massive investment, renewable energy is now delivering more than a third of the electricity consumed by Scottish households and businesses.

“Renewables is now a major part of our energy mix and a major part of our economy, and the sector is making a key contribution to the fight on climate change. Last year the sector displaced over 5 million tonnes of CO2 – around 10 per cent of Scotland’s total carbon emissions.

“There are many challenges ahead if we are to keep growing. Government must continue to focus on delivering grid connections, getting the right balance in the planning system, and supporting investment in clean energy. By doing so we will make further progress in cutting emissions and securing more jobs for the future.

Stan Blackley, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland: “Our research has shown that, with some modest investment in energy efficiency  and demand reduction, Scotland could produce 130% of its electricity demand from renewable sources by 2020 and 180% by 2030. In doing so we could ensure a reliable supply of clean electricity and phase out Scotland’s thermal power stations.”

In other news, Scottish Renewables released a report detailing the number of jobs that the Scottish Renewables industry is currently supporting.

In total there are around 11,000 people in Scotland employed in jobs supporting the renewables industry. The majority of these jobs are in the direct supply chain; 8701 to be exact. 1526 people are directly employed in renewable energy development and a further 909 people are employed in academia and the wider public sector. When broken down by sector onshore wind is the largest employer with 2235 employees; 943 are employed in offshore wind, and 1410 are employed in bioenergy. A further 3223 are employed in the National Grid and it’s supply chain.

Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables issued the following statement to accompany the report:

“The report shows that renewables are not only a major part of our energy mix, they are now a major part of our economy and our daily working lives, supporting more than 11,000 jobs across Scotland.

“The report also highlights that for every job in renewable energy development, there are around six more in the direct supply chain.

“These numbers are actually just the tip of the iceberg, with many thousands more employees supported indirectly by the growth of the renewables sector which have not been captured by this study.

“Renewable energy development is bringing in much needed investment to the wider economy, which is providing opportunities for businesses and people from a wide range of sectors; whether it be electricians, tradesmen and skippers of work boats, or lawyers, consultants, civil engineers and architects.

“These jobs are spread throughout the country, in both urban and rural areas: Glasgow, Fife and Edinburgh are already established as important centres for offshore wind development; Aberdeen is a major centre for offshore engineering; the Highlands and Islands are leading the development of the emerging wave and tidal sector; and bioenergy is providing jobs across rural Scotland from Lochaber to Morayshire to Dumfries and Galloway.

“A clear pattern emerges from speaking to employers that these numbers are expected to grow over the year ahead and beyond, as the relatively new industry continues to expand. Gamesa’s decision last week to come to Leith reinforces the scale of this opportunity.

“As a growth sector, it also offers new opportunities for the existing workforce and business base in parts of the economy which have been hit by the downturn.

“With continued political support, the right market framework, the right balance in the planning system, and investment in grid and ports and harbour infrastucture, we will ensure the creation of many thousands more jobs in this exciting sector.”

The announcements made this week demonstrate the great strides being made by the Scottish Renewables industry in terms of attracting investment, creating jobs and generating ever greater amounts of electricity.

The Renewable Energy Investment Fund will be initially focused on the following types of project:

rural businesses and local communities will be given assistance and funding to establish community owned renewable developments, wave and tidal developers will be funded with a particular emphasis on the development and deployment of array projects, and district heating schemes.

It is intended that the Renewable Energy Investment Fund will “have a legacy for many years” as money is to be repaid into the fund and then reinvested into new developments. It is also intended that the Renewable Energy Investment Fund will work alongside funding from the Green Investment Bank (which is to head-quartered in Edinburgh) as the Investment Fund is aimed at projects at an earlier stage of development. Green Investment Bank funds are to be aimed at projects which are at a “near commercial” stage. This £103 fund comes in addition to the £200 million already committed over the next three years in the Scottish Government’s spending review.

Scottish Energy Minister announced the launch of the Renewable Energy Investment Fund:

“This “103 million Renewable Energy Investment Fund will allow communities all over Scotland to reap the benefits  of our green energy revolution.

“Scotland has astounding green energy potential and vast natural resources, and we have a responsibility to make sure our nation seizes this opportunity to create tens of thousands of new jobs and secure billions of pounds of investment in our economy.

“This fund will help us to make the most of our potential. Some have called on us to increase funding for marine technologies – this fund does that, demonstrates our commitment to marine and will ensure marine renewable technologies become commercial realities. It will help ensure district heating is rolled out throughout Scotland, and will support communities developing their own local renewable projects.

“The fund will not replicate existing grant and loan support. Instead, it will focus on investment by offering new and innovative instruments which complement existing Scottish routes.

“That is what this fund is all about – investing money from the technologies of the past to secure our energy future.”

Niall Stewart, chairman of Scottish Renewables greeted the news:

“After the recent positive announcement on locating the UK Green Investment Bank Headquarters in Edinburgh, the Energy Minister’s statement on the Renewable Energy Investment Fund makes for doubly good news for Scotland’s flourishing renewable energy sector.

“This new £103 million fund will inject much-needed investment into the development of the next generation of renewable technologies, such as marine energy and renewable heat. This kind of support can be a vital catalyst in attracting even greater levels of private investment.

“Scotland is already at the forefront of developing and testing emerging wave and tidal technologies and, with the correct level of government support, we can become a global centre of excellence in both the deployment of these technologies and their accompanying supply chains.

“The renewable energy industry is already providing thousands of Scottish jobs and has the potential to bring in billions of pounds into the Scottish economy. The Renewable Energy Investment Fund will help the industry and local communities continue to deliver Scotland’s ambition of maximising its renewable energy potential.”

Dr Richard Nixon, director of WWF Scotland commented:

“The focus on marine renewables and district heating are particularly welcome as these are two areas that need to grow quickly in the next few years if we are to cut emissions. However, we’re also pleased to see help for smaller renewable schemes as we know there are many around the country who wish to take action in their own communities.”

The announcement of the Renewable Energy Investment Fund and the head-quartering of the Green Investment Bank in Edinburgh demonstrates continued government support for the country’s renewable industry from both a Scottish and UK level.

“This report shows that the Scottish Government’s target to generate the equivalent of 100 per cent of our electricity needs from renewables, as well as more from other sources, is achievable.

“We know there is doubt and scepticism about our 100 per cent renewables target, and the financial and engineering challenges required to meet it.

“But we will meet these challenges. I want to debate, engage and co-operate with every knowledgeable, interested and concerned party to ensure we achieve our goals.

“We know our target is technically achievable. Scotland already leads the world in renewable energy, and we have the natural resources and the expertise to achieve so much more.

“The prize at stake for the people of Scotland is huge, in terms of jobs, economic opportunities and lower electricity bills for all.”

The Electricity Generation Policy Statement initially outlines what the government hopes to achieve, long term, with the countries energy network.

It states that Scotland’s generation mix should deliver; a secure electricity supply, at an affordable cost to consumers, which can achieve large scale de-carbonisation by 2030, and brings the greatest possible economic benefit to Scotland.

A number of individual targets have been set with these aims in mind. For example, total Scottish energy consumption should be lowered by 12% by 2020. Energy efficiency is internationally regarded as one of the most affordable ways in which energy demand and carbon emissions can be reduced and controlled. Steps are already being taken to meet this target; there was a 7.4% drop in year on year energy demand from 2008 to 2009.

No new nuclear power plants are to be constructed in Scotland although extending the lifespan of the countries two existing nuclear plants for  a further 5 years is being considered. Such a move would serve to ease the transition to a grid more heavily reliant upon renewables.

Carbon Capture and Storage technology is expected to play an important role. Allowing baseload power to be maintained whilst still reducing carbon emissions. A minimum of 2.5 GW of thermal generation fitted with CCS technology is expected to be operational by 2020. CCS technology, if successfully demonstrated at commercial scale, could create up to 5,000 jobs and be worth £3.5 billion to the Scottish economy.

14-16 Gigawatts of renewable capacity will be required to achieve the 100% renewable target by 2020. Currently there are 12 Gigawatts of renewable capacity in various stages of planning, development and deployment. This figure includes 3 Gigawatts of mainly onshore wind projects currently consented or in construction. Whilst it should be remembered that not all of the 12 Gigawatts worth of projects will make it to construction it demonstrates the interest the Scottish renewables sector is already attracting from investors.

To achieve the 2020 target installed renewable generation capacity will have to almost double over the next ten years.Wind (both onshore and offshore) will play a major part in this expansion. 13 Gigawatts of wind energy is expected to be installed by 2020. This will mean that wind power will be providing around 55% of Scotland’s electricity output by this time. The Policy Statement identifies this target as a “major challenge” but argues that it is “consistent” with the projections made in a variety of different reports. Given Scotland’s huge potential for wind energy, strong backing from both the UK and Scottish Goverment’s, and the falling costs of both onshore and offshore wind it seems an achievable, if ambitious, target.

The Scottish Government has outlined a number of economic benefits that a strong and committed drive for increased renewable generation can bring. Firstly, it will serve to insulate consumers from the rising international prices of fossil fuels. The Policy Statement states that from 2013 increased renewable energy capacity will begin to halt the ever increasing cost to consumers from their energy bills.

Secondly, over the next ten years the renewable energy industry alone could be providing up to 40,000 jobs and £30 billion worth of investments into the Scottish economy. This is not including the economic benefits of CCS and increased usage of energy storage technologies. Additionally, the Scottish Government has targeted that 500MW should be owned by local communities by 2020. This level of communal ownership would see up £2.4 billion in Feed in-Tariff revenues over the next 20 years being held by local communities.

Thirdly, the necessary investment in and upgrading of Scotland’s electricity grid would pump £7 billion into the country’s economy and create 1,500 new jobs. The benefits of such investment are already being seen with both ScottishPower and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) announcing the creation of new training and apprenticeship schemes.

Reactions to the publication of the Electricity Generation Policy Statement have been largely positive.

Ian Marchant, Chief Executive of SSE commented:

“SSE welcomes the Scottish Government’s electricity generation policy statement. With energy supply now a global issue, it is vital that the policy objectives adopted at Scottish, UK and EU level are consistent. With its focus on energy security, affordability and de-carbonisation, this policy statement underlines the extent to which policy objectives are consistent, and it is very encouraging that this should be the case.”

Keith Anderson, ScottishPower’s Chief Corporate Officer and CEO of ScottishPower Renewables remarked:

“ScottishPower supports the commitment to increase low carbon electricity generation in Scotland and we welcome the clarity outlined in the Scottish Government’s policy statement. We are making significant investments in large scale renewable energy projects including new wind, wave and tidal power. This investment is critical in order to help Scotland achieve its renewable energy targets and will be a catalyst for economic growth and job creation.”

Alison Kay, Commercial Director for National Grid observed:

“Scotland already has the highest proportion of clean power generation across Great Britain, which plays a vital role in keeping the lights on and meeting demand. The future energy mix is uncertain and this statement sets out a clear vision for the future of energy in Scotland. It will further enable National Grid and other industry participants to effectively plan the networks of the future.”

The 2020 target is described in the Policy Statement as “both a statement of intent and a rallying call”. It has been demonstrated to be both feasible and achievable, with wind energy playing a massive part. It is hoped that the outlining of a long term plan to help achieve the 100% aim will provide investors with confidence.

“Onshore wind plays a role in a balanced UK electricity mix, alongside gas, nuclear, cleaner coal and other forms of renewable energy. A portfolio of different supplies enhances energy security and prevents the UK from becoming over-reliant on gas imports.

“I am also determined that we seize the economic opportunities in renewable energy supply chains as the global race for capital in low-carbon sectors intensifies.”

Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Greg Barker took much the same line, stating:

“The coalition is determined to drive ambitious green growth and this is putting our money where our mouth is. This cash shows we are really shifting gear when it comes to supporting innovation and offshore wind. Making wind turbines more efficient is common sense  and will help bring down the costs of making them more attractive to build and helping us increase the amount of electricity we get from clean, green sources.”

A Downing Street spokesman released the following statement on the meeting between the Prime Minister and his backbenchers:

“The Prime Minister, DECC [Department of Energy and Climate Change] Minister Charles Hendry and DCLG [Department of Communities and Local Government] Minster Greg Clark met Chris Heaton-Harris and several other MPs today. The aim of meetings like this is to give backbench MPs a chance to get a better understanding of government policy and constructively engage with ministers on issues. The PM routinely meets with backbench MPs to discuss issues of importance to them.”

Secondly, it was announced that leading industry body RenewableUK and the country’s biggest trade union Unite had signed a “memorandum of understanding” with each other.

This means that the two organisations will campaign together for increased government and investor commitment to British green growth.

RenewableUK’s chief executive Maria McCaffrey commented:

“The expansion of the wind, wave and tidal industry has the potential to generate up to 120,000 jobs over the next ten years, both directly and through the UK-based supply chain that is growing alongside the industry. Many of the new opportunities the offshore wind industry in particular will generate will be in the old industrial areas along our coastline-areas badly in need of new employment. Working with Unite the union, who will represent many of these future workers, will help us achieve this vision.”

Unite national officer for energy,  Kevin Coyne remarked:

“As the largest union in the UK energy sector, with members in every form of power generation and distribution. Unite is exceptionally mindful of the massive potential for growth and employment the renewable energy sector provides. Unite is committed to support the UK wind, wave and tidal industries to ensure that they create long term skilled employment opportunites. Unite looks forward to working with RenewableUK and its member companies to the mutual benefit of the industry and the workforce.”

It is hoped that a concentrated campaign from Unite could serve to really promote the renewables industry as a creator of large amounts of jobs.

Finally, a word from our own CEO Mark Wilson, quoted in a Guardian article which can be found here. He outlines the benefits medium scale onshore wind turbines can bring to farmers and landowners across the country:

“It’s like the industrial revolution now. Everyone is now trying to get in on it. It’s evolved, and we are seeing a much fairer distribution of wealth.”

With 13GW of renewable energy expected to be installed in the UK by 2020 it is very good news that government and other relevant bodies have reaffirmed their commitment to the industry.

For example,  they recommended that a national database of survey data should be created. This would serve to reduce costs, timescales and avoid duplication. Work on identifying suitable sites for test facilities; particularly for deep water offshore wind developments was recommended as an early priority. Common standards of data collection and assessment should be introduced to ensure that developers have confidence in their information. Consultation with other sea users should take place before an application is submitted into planning rather than after as it is currently. This would further help to reduce costs and timescales.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond welcomed the reports recommendations:

“The Scottish Government and our agencies are determined to build a strong, sustainable and world-leading offshore renewables industry, bringing jobs and investment to countries around the country. An increasing number of major overseas firms are already joining leading Scottish companies to invest in the development of wind, wave and tidal in Scotland. As we move towards our 2020 target of ensuring renewables contribute at least 100 per cent of Scotland’s own electricity demand, it is important that the scoping, planning, development and deployment of offshore wind, wave and tidal generation is done as effectively as possible.

“That requires developers to consult early with other industries and with communities and to use common standards when surveying potential sites, while it requires public agencies to commit sufficient resources to be able to provide good information, timely advice and clear decisions to developers and other interested parties.

“Scotland’s distinct approach to sectoral marine planning has already provided clarity for developers. By ensuring that government, developers and others get things right at the strategic planning and earliest licensing stages we can cut the time and resource spent on inappropriate developments and allow a greater focus on those areas with the best opportunities to harness resources sustainably. In that way we will reduce our reliance on other forms of fossil fuel-generated power and help tackle damaging climate change.”

The reports findings have been welcomed by a number of relevant parties. Richard Dixon, the director of WWF Scotland commented: “We need to make sure we get the right renewables in the right places. The recommendations from the task force are very helpful.”

Scottish and Southern Energy’s Managing Director for Renewables, Jim Smith remarked:

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s recognition of the issues faced by the offshore renewables industry around consenting. The recommendations of the task force are an important step forward in addressing those issues and we look forward to seeing them implemented. We sincerely hope that these measures help unlock the enormous potential of offshore wind, wave and tidal energy projects around Scotland.”

Alan Moritmer, Head of Innovation for ScottishPower Renewables:

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to improve the consenting process for marine and offshore renewables, and the opportunity we have had to assist in the development of the report and its recommendations. Marine and offshore renewables have the potential to make a huge contribution to Scotland’s energy needs as well as placing this country in a prime position to lead the industry.”

Scottish Renewables Director of Policy Jenny Hogan added:

“With more than 11GW of offshore wind, wave and tidal energy projects in the pipeline by 2020, a streamlined and efficient process for securing planning consent is crucial to making these plans a reality, and creating a lynchpin for Scotland’s next industrial revolution.

This report’s recommendations will build upon the concerted effort made by industry, government and regulators to move these projects closer to deployment, and ultimately deliver clean, safe and secure electricity from around our shores to homes and businesses across Scotland.”

With the findings of this report and the anticipated publication of the Scottish Government’s Agri-Renewables Strategy later in the year it is hoped that 2012 can see the further acceleration of Scotland’s renewable energy capacity.

Maria McCaffrey, chief executive of RenewableUK hailed the news:

“This is a landmark achievement . There’s a great feeling of pride throughout the industry that we’ve reached a record high of 6GW, and there’s a further 19.5GW of capacity under construction, consented, or in planning.

“The government’s Renewable Energy Roadmap is calling for 31GW of onshore and offshore wind combined by 2020, and we’re confident that we can deliver this if we can continue to get the right level of government support.”

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander reaffirmed the UK Governments support for renewables:

“Working together, we can reach even greater heights. We are eager to ensure that the UK becomes the natural home for the most innovative, ambitious and inspiring renewable energy companies in the world, and we will continue to work with the industry to drive down costs and encourage even stronger growth in the years to come.”

Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing commented:

“£750 million of new renewable electricity projects started generating in Scotland over the past year, and Scottish wind energy is already making a significant contribution to UK and EU targets.

“We are working closely with the UK government to ensure electricity market reforms continue to maximise opportunites to capitalise on Scotland’s unique natural resources.”

Jeremy Sainsbury, Chairman of Scottish Renewables, stated:

“We obviously join the renewables industry in celebrating reaching the 6GW mark and congratulate the Scottish sector in contributing almost 50% towards this important milestone.

“It is clear that with Scotland’s 2020 target of generating the equivalent of 100% of our electricity needs from renewables that we will continue to play a significant part in delivering capacity across the UK.”

It is clear that the achievement of the landmark 6GW of renewable generation that investment in both the UK and Scotland is continuing apace.

Both government’s 2020 renewable targets are beginning to seem that much more achievable.

Ian Marchant, chief executive of SSE made the following statement on the news:

“Passing the 1GW milestone for onshore wind farm capacity is a very positive development as we start the New Year. With construction work continuing at sites in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, we expect that our operating onshore wind farm capacity will continue to grow significantly in the coming months.”

Richard Dixon, the director of WWF Scotland commented:

“SSE is to be congratulated, 1GW of wind power is a tremendous milestone. Just the wind-powered electricity from this one company represents enough capacity to provide a quarter of Scotland’s average electricity demand in ideal conditions.

“To meet our climate and energy targets, we need more wind turbines, as well as other renewables. SSE has an important part to play in this.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government argued that their renewables policy was already “delivering hundreds of millions of pounds of investment and thousands of jobs.

“This is a historic milestone for SSE and plays a key role in ensuring communities all over Scotland will benefit from renewable energy generation.”

It should be remembered, of course, that SSE are only one player in an increasingly large industry.

Scottish Renewables, the industry’s leading trade body, announced that over the course of 2010 onshore wind turbines produced more than 10% of Scotland’s energy demand.

Given the increase in installed capacity in 2011 we can fully expect that next year the figure will be even higher.

Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables released the following statement with the news:

“The recent high winds have resulted in higher output from wind farms, despite some turbines having to close down in the very worst of the storms.

“Onshore wind makes an invaluable contribution all year round, meeting around 12% of the electricity demand of Scotland in 2010.

“Despite the critics, 2011 is on track to be a record year for the renewables industry and 2012 will likely see us set the bar even higher.”

These two recent announcements demonstrate that onshore wind can, and indeed already is, contribute in a major way to Scotland’s and the UK’s energy needs.