Generation of green electricity showing a big surge

Published Date: 24 December 2008
By David Maddox
Scottish Political Correspondent

NEW statistics have shown that the amount of energy produced by renewable sources in Scotland has dramatically increased.
Government figures have revealed that a fifth of the electricity used in Scotland last year came from renewable sources.The statistics from the Department of Energy and Climate Change showed that 20.1 per cent of electricity used in 2007 came from green sources, up from 16.9 per cent the previous year.The figures have been taken as evidence that the Scottish Government is winning the battle to make renewables the main source of energy and that Scotland's renewable power potential is being turned into reality.Jim Mather, the energy minister, said the country was now on track to exceed its target of having 31 per cent of electricity demand met by renewables by 2011.A total of 48,217 gigawatt hours of electricity were generated in Scotland in 2007, with more than 15 per cent of it exported. This was a drop of almost 8 per cent compared with 2006's total of 52,222Gwh. Nuclear power was responsible for 25.6 per cent of the electricity generated.Mr Mather said: "These figures prove that, backed by government support, continuous investment by the private sector is turning Scotland's renewables potential into a reality