The year 2020 saw Scotland almost meeting all of its energy needs through renewables.
The latest research states the Scottish are the first to get up to that mark. The new revealed figures state 97.4 nation’s electricity demands were met using renewable sources. Scotland set this target a decade back in 2011 when the country produced 37 percent of its energy using green and clean environment-friendly methods. The Scottish renewables, in a statement, said, “the output had tripled in the last decade, with generating enough power to fulfill the electricity demand of seven million households.”
Claire Mack, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Renewables, said that Scotland’s climate change goals have been the key motivator in reaching this target and made the authorities deploy more clean energy sources in the tenure.
“Renewable energy projects are displacing tens of millions of tonnes of carbon every year, employing the equivalent of 17,700 people and bringing enormous socio-economic benefits to communities.”
As per the figures floated by the Scottish Government, the country met 90.1 percent of its electricity consumption needs from renewables in 2019. Fortunately, that kept on growing in the previous year, too, despite the hindrances caused by the pandemic. Seem like Scottish people are motivated to reach their net-zero emissions target of 2045 before the given timeframe.
They are progressing forward with renewable energy and producing more of such sources. By 2030, Scotland wants to fulfill 50 percent of all energy demands through green and clean ways, fueling its heating and transport needs. The nation has been making leaps in technological advancements and has eliminated fossil fuel burning, closing the last coal-fired power station in 2016.
With Aberdeenshire in Peterhead standing as the last gas-fired power station, the country’s 70 percent capacity now comes from onshore wind deliveries, supported by the hydro and offshore wind as Scotland’s major power source. WWF Scotland said it to be something remarkable. However, the country still needs to cut down on its transport and heat emissions to reach the zero-net emissions goal. To cater to this concern, Holly O’Donnell, Climate and Energy policy manager, called for speeding up the electrification of transport and funds for renewable heating in Scotland.
She added: “Not only do renewables reduce the impact of our electricity use on the climate, but they are also generating jobs and income for communities around the country. “To cut the climate emissions from the transport and heat sectors, we will need to continue to increase our use of cheap, clean renewables.”