Scottish Government’s Annual Energy Statement

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee invites you to submit your views on the Scottish Government’s Annual Energy Statement.

At its meeting on 11 June 2019, the Committee decided to scrutinise the Energy Statement and to focus on decarbonisation of the heat sector, particularly on progress towards the target of 11% of non-electrical heat demand from renewables by 2020.

2018 was a record year for renewable electricity in Scotland, with generation increasing by 6.1% from 2017, and further large-scale projects in the pipeline. Renewable heat however only increased by 1.2% (4.7% in 2016), and in contrast to electricity where Scotland performs strongly relative to Europe, it is the lowest of all countries for renewable heat – below the UK share as a whole of 7.5% and well below the EU average of 19.5%, as set out below:

On 14 May 2019, in oral evidence to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee, the Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) stated:

If there is a test of whether we are serious, it is on heating. We have an extraordinarily useful energy system delivering heat to every home in Scotland and the UK at the moment and it works extremely well. Sadly, it is based on fossil fuels in the main. It is not going to be easy to change that, but it is necessary that we do so. The targets that we already have require that, and a net zero target makes it even more obvious that it needs to be done.

We do not have a strategy across the UK that will deliver a decarbonised heat system. There are big choices to be made about how to do it. The key message from the CCC to Governments in Scotland and the UK is that you have no excuse but to make that plan now. It is essential that that happens. That does not mean that we need to see the exact detail of what the system looks like in 2050, but it does mean that there has to be a clear commitment now […].

Priorities for Consideration

This short and focused inquiry is intended as a “health-check” on the development and supply of renewable heat, recognising that stakeholders are likely to have responded to at least five consultations on this, or related, subjects in the last two years.

The Committee is therefore seeking focussed submissions extending to no more than two pages on:

• Whether the 11% renewable heat target is still appropriate?
• Whether the target is likely to be achieved?
• What the key risks and threats to achieving the target are, and what more can be done?

How to submit your views

The call for written views will close on FRIDAY 20 SEPTEMBER.

Before making a submission, please read our privacy notice about submitting your views to a Committee. This tells you about how we process your personal data.

Privacy Notice

Please use the template provided to format your submission. This includes the Data Protection Form. Please complete this form and send it in with your submission.

Submission Template

We welcome written views in English, Gaelic, Scots or any other language. Due to the time required to process and analyse evidence, late submissions will only be accepted with the agreement of the Committee.

Written responses should be sent electronically, in the template format to the following address: [email protected] Ideally they should be no more than four sides of A4.

If you cannot submit electronically you may send in a hard copy written submission. If you are sending in a hard copy submission please print off and include a copy of the Data Protection Form. Please send them to:

Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee
Room T3.40
Scottish Parliament
Holyrood
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP