UK energy policy described as “inconsistent, incoherent and ineffectual”

Scotland’s Energy Minister has told a major energy conference that the UK energy policy “fails objectives” and must change.

Fergus Ewing accused the UK government of failing to meet its objectives and jeopardising energy security at the International Tidal Energy Summit in London.

Mr Ewing described the policy as: “Inconsistent, as the approach is to build new capacity at the lowest cost and let the market decide which technologies prevail, but skews incentives towards more gas and nuclear power.

“Incoherent, as it rules out support for proven, cheap technologies like onshore wind and solar.

“And it will be ineffectual – we urgently need to tackle the parlous state of affairs that has allowed the capacity margin to dwindle to one per cent, yet there are still delays to bringing on new capacity, including the development of renewables in Scotland

Scotland’s largest power station, Longannet, is due to close next year due to transmission charges. Scotland plans to use natural resources such as wave and tidal.

The largest planned tidal development in the world, Meygan in the Pentland Firth, will power 175,000 homes when completed. Orkney developer, Scotrenewables has almost completed the construction of two Megawatt floating tidal turbine, whilst Edinburgh-based Nova innovation is in the process of installing five turbines as part of the Shetland Tidal Array.

Marine energy has made huge advances in the last two decades, with its development in need of support.

Mr Ewing suggested that the UK government must change its course to provide more certainty for investment in new technology and ensuring the next capacity market auction does more to bring new, clean power generation forward.

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