Responding to evidence from The Trump Organization and Communities Against Turbines Scotland to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, Niall Stuart, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables said:
“Tackling climate change and creating meaningful and sustainable jobs are the two key challenges for this generation – renewable energy is one of the few ways we can do both. It’s unfortunate that the hugely complex debate on how Scotland maximises the economic and environmental benefits from renewables has been over-shadowed by the focus on today’s witnesses, especially when I don’t think we heard anything new today from the two organisations that gave evidence.
“Let’s be absolutely clear: the facts are that wind power is efficient, effective and reliable, and wind and other renewables provided 35 per cent of Scotland’s electricity needs last year.
“Renewables displaced more than 5million tonnes of CO2 according to DECC, around 10 per cent of Scotland’s carbon emissions.
“We also know that there is a growing body of evidence which suggests a huge majority of people in Scotland support wind power and support our renewable energy targets.
“Wind and other forms of renewables are bringing in billions of pounds of investment to Scotland and together employ over 11,000 people across the country. Future investments have the potential to create tens of thousands of additional new jobs in coming years.”
[mappress]
Offshore WIND staff, April 25, 2012; Image: scottishrenewables