Words: Lindsay Roberts, Senior Policy Manager, Scottish Renewables
Renewable energy is now our largest source of power and with over 5.5GW installed onshore, wind provides the lion’s share of that capacity. Can the Scottish and UK Governments work with industry and regulators to remove a series of barriers as suggested in a report by Everoze and explained here by Lindsay Roberts, Senior Policy Manager at Scottish Renewables?
The sector has delivered hugely impressive cost reductions, leading some commentators to claim that it is already the cheapest form of new electricity generation plant on the market.
It’s perhaps not surprising then that the appetite for further development remains undiminished, with another 7GW of capacity waiting in the wings.
That pipeline, however, faces an uncertain future without a viable route to market.
What is certain is that a successful future depends on our ability to reduce costs even further.
Earlier this year (2016) Scottish Renewables commissioned energy consultancy Everoze to examine just how low the cost of onshore wind in Scotland could go and the steps needed to get us there.
