ENERGY INQUIRY BACKS GREEN FUTURE FOR SCOTLAND

ENERGY INQUIRY BACKS GREEN FUTURE FOR SCOTLAND

NUCLEAR POWER NOT NEEDED OR WANTED

LONDON MUST RELEASE £150 MILLION FOSSIL FUEL LEVY

Scotland’s energy future should be based on non-nuclear sources.

The SNP today welcomed a report from the Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee which supported the Scottish Government’s plans for Scotland to build a clean, green and renewable energy future as SNP MSP Rob Gibson called for the UK Government to release £150 million of potential investment in Scotland’s energy future.

The report also calls for action to tackle fuel poverty, to increase energy efficiency and to increase renewable energy production, creating thousands of green energy jobs.

SNP MSP Rob Gibson, Deputy Convener of the Parliament’s Energy committee said;

“There is no desire across the Scottish Parliament for new nuclear energy in Scotland and a real enthusiasm for building a clean, green future with new technologies putting Scotland at the forefront of a European energy revolution.

“This year long inquiry sets a clear path for Scotland’s energy future and supports the Scottish Government’s ambition of building a sustainable economy for Scotland.

As the Scottish Government leads the way it is essential that the UK Government ends it’s lobbying for new nuclear and instead takes effective action to support Scotland’s ambition by releasing the £150 million of fossil fuel levy locked in a London bank account for investment in Scotland’s green future.”

“With Scotland on course to surpass the target of 31% of electricity from renewable energy by 2011 and aiming for 50% by 2050 we are already making strides toward this green goal, and to creating 16,000 green energy jobs over the next decade.

“Alongside Scotland’s world leading Climate Change legislation we must now lead the world on action to cut and clean up our carbon use."