Last week, at the new Prime Minister’s first Prime Ministers Questions session in the House of Commons, I called on Andy Burnham to commit to Scotland’s energy future in order to secure £79 billion worth of investment currently at risk under Westminster plans.
The UK Government must ensure a pathway that enables the full ScotWind pipeline, including floating offshore wind and the grid investment needed to deliver it. Concerns have been highlighted in a letter from a number of top business leaders in Scotland to the Prime Minister and his Energy Secretary on the upcoming decision on which pathway to take forward in the government’s Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) which could put a substantial part of Scotland’s offshore wind opportunity at risk.
The blueprint could risk ScotWind, which Crown Estate Scotland projections suggest could deliver £78.5 billion of investment, while the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas leasing round could add more than £17billion, delivering 21,000 jobs.
The Energy Secretary will shortly choose between six National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) pathway options for the SSEP, which will shape where and when energy infrastructure is developed across these islands to 2050.
Westminster’s crippling transmission charging regime is hammering Scottish offshore wind, their tax on Scotland’s energy is ruining supply chains and now we learn they might press play on plans that would destroy nearly £80 billion of renewables investment.
There is the potential to deliver 21,000 jobs here with Unions and the industry warning Andy Burnham must choose the right path and commit to the enormous offshore wind potential in Scotland’s waters.
Despite the colossal economic opportunity, workers and the wider industry are nervous that the Labour Party may bypass ScotWind, bypass our expertise and bypass Scotland’s energy future – a decision like would see us miss the opportunity inherent in the energy transition.
Andy Burnham has declared his commitment to ‘good jobs in every community’ and to work with Scotland on building a better economy – if he can’t deliver on this, then he should get out of the way for a government that will and put Scotland’s energy in Scotland’s hands.
