Scotland’s renewable electricity target raised to 80% by 2020

Scottish Government announcement

“Scotland’s renewable electricity target for the next decade is being raised from 50 per cent to 80 per cent, First Minister Alex Salmond announced today.

The FM confirmed the Scottish Government’s increased national target – now 80 per cent of Scottish electricity consumption to come from renewables by 2020 – ahead of a major international conference in Edinburgh next week to help accelerate investment in the growing low carbon economy.

Scotland’s existing target was established in 2007 and, aided by a rapid expansion in wind power, the country is on course to exceed its interim target of 31 per cent in 2011.

The Scottish Government has now calculated that significantly higher levels of renewables could be deployed by 2020 with little change to the current policy, planning or regulation framework in Scotland.”