MacAskill calls for Scottish Public Energy Company to end the “Great Scottish Renewable Energy Swindle”
ALBA Depute Leader Kenny MacAskill MP has called for a Scottish public energy company to be established as he publishes a new paper - 124 Billion Reasons for Independence, which shows that by 2030 Scotland will be sending south 124 billion kilowatt hours of energy which will be worth over £2.12 trillion at today’s prices.
The key findings are:
- 35 TWh of energy were transferred from Scotland to England in 2021.The UK Government estimates the price of 35 TWH to be £600 billion.
- Based on the energy consumption of an average 2-3 bedroom household this was enough in 2021 to power Scotland’s 2.5 million homes 3 and a half times over.
- The amount of energy taken south is estimated by the UK Government to rise to 124 TWh in 2030. At today’s prices, that amount of energy is worth an estimated £2.12 Trillion.
- By 2030 this would be enough to power Scotland’s 2.5 million homes more than 12 times over.
Scotland produces more energy than it requires, and indeed more than the national grid can currently cope with.
Additional steps are being taken to transfer this huge surplus of resources south with cables to England being laid from Peterhead and Torness to Drax and Redcar to transfer renewable energy from Scotland.
In a statement Kenny MacAskill MP said:
“This paper not only shows Scotland to be self sufficient in electricity production from renewable energy resources but that our vast renewable energy reserves far exceed our own energy needs – enough to power Scotland’s 2.5 millions homes more than 12 times over by 2030!
“Scotland’s domestic energy needs are already largely met from renewable energy, 100% in the north of Scotland and as of 2020, 97% of Scotland’s electricity demand in the country as a whole.
“We are witnessing a massive transfer of renewable energy resources, from offshore wind, from Scotland to England, without any economic revenues, major manufacturing or supply chain jobs coming to Scotland.
“Scots are being ‘ripped off’ in what has become the ‘Great Scottish renewable energy swindle’. Scotland’s massive wind energy resource is being cabled south, from under our noses. Meanwhile the companies rake in the profits and our people are forced to pay sky high energy bills or to go cold.
“That is why I am calling for the establishment of a Scottish public energy company, with the power to take a stake in every offshore wind farm, to end the ‘Great Scottish renewable energy swindle’ and bring affordable energy to people and business.
“This massive renewable energy windfall should be powering Scottish homes and businesses while at the same time putting Scotland in a prime position to amass additional revenues by exporting excess energy south. However the reality is that Scotland’s massive energy bounty is being exploited while Scots families are seeing their fuel bills go through the roof.
“Why is it when Scotland is self sufficient in electricity and is transferring massive amounts of energy to power homes and businesses in England our people are still living in fuel poverty?
“This is a national scandal. Scotland receives no direct benefit from this transfer in terms of economic revenues or jobs. This is the ‘Great Scottish renewable energy swindle’ and because this equates to 124 billion kilowatt hours of energy in 2030, it represents 124 billion reasons why Scotland needs control of its own energy resources through Independence.”
READ: 124 Billion Reasons for Independence by Kenny MacAskill MP