01 September, 2024 - Gilbert West
Scotland is doing exceptionally well in reducing carbon intensity, but let’s be clear, when we vaunt Scotland as a country with some of the cleanest electricity in the world, we’re not saying, “Job done.”
We advocate for the electrification of all sectors and aim to dispel the myth that solar power wont play a large part in Scotland's energy future. In fact, we believe there’s a pressing need to expand solar energy and increase storage capacity to fill gaps in renewable production. Plenty of individuals have already installed solar at home, now we'd like to see more local authorities follow suit. We are well into the energy transition, and reaching its final stages will require continued investment in the fuelless solutions we already have; technologies that work, improve over time, and don’t need complicated carbon accounting to demonstrate their value.
By “fuelless,” we mean solar, wind, hydro, and marine energy. We don't mean hydrogen, “green gases”, carbon capture and storage (CCS), or carbon capture, storage, and utilization (CCSU). We believe in transporting electrons through wires, not gas molecules via pipes or by truck.
This transition began on October 1, 1990, with the first round of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) under the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO). Just one year later, the first wind farm started operating at Delabole in Cornwall. In 1994, the Scottish Renewables Obligation (SRO) was introduced, mirroring the NFFO, with a similar obligation in Northern Ireland (NI NFFO). These measures, implemented between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, were originally designed to support the nuclear industry, which needed to reinvent itself as the Cold War wound down. They placed an obligation on electricity suppliers to purchase low carbon electricity.
However, instead of reviving nuclear, these policies sparked a wind farm boom. I remember visiting Carno, Europe’s largest wind farm in the mid-1990s. We’re now 35 years into the current energy transition; the fourth decade of a 50-year journey.
This transition is not something far off in the future. It’s not something on the horizon, it’s not news and it’s not a fresh political announcement. It's happening now and and it is the right thing to do, it benefits communities and it is profitable.
We’re 70% of the way through this project. Now, let’s finish the job; electrify everything, put people to work, and ensure warmth, safety, and dignity for all. Everything else is just a distraction.