Two ways Scotland’s public sector is leading the way to a low carbon future
You can’t miss this feature of our changing energy landscape: the accelerating drive for economic growth-enhancing carbon reductions. And nowhere is that drive accelerating faster than Scotland.
Look at the bold way Roseanna Cunningham, the Scottish government’s climate change secretary, announced a draft Climate Change bill:
“By 2030, we will cut emissions by two-thirds “The fight against climate change is a moral responsibility but Scotland’s academic and engineering expertise, |
The Scottish Government is showing us all how it’s done in their bid to achieve these ambitions. Here are two ways they are putting those targets into practice:
1. Leading the way with renewables
When Scottish Procurement – the procurement arm of the Scottish government - renewed their electricity supply contract with EDF Energy, 28,000 public sector sites bodies secured the option to run on 100 per cent renewable electricity until at least March 2021 (with opportunity for a further 3 annual extensions).
That accounts for around 10 per cent of Scotland’s annual electricity consumption. Or to you and I - enough energy to power nearly 840,000 homes!*
2. But it’s not just what energy is supplied – it’s how you use it
The new contract also includes ways for Scottish Procurement to lower their energy costs as well as their carbon emissions.
For instance, by encouraging members to take part in Demand Side Response (DSR) schemes they can earn money for changing their energy use to help keep the grid in balance. Increasing the flexibility of the whole energy system is essential to accommodating more renewable energy on the grid.
Our commitment to Scotland
As our Managing Director Béatrice Bigois said “EDF Energy is very proud to have been selected by the Scottish Government to serve Scotland’s public sector customers under the Scottish Procurement Framework. We are building on strong foundations and are committed to supporting the Scottish Government to achieve a secure, affordable and low carbon energy future for the country.”
With more demand for renewables, there needs to be more supply to match. EDF Energy already operates seven onshore windfarms spread right across Scotland. Later this year, we’re increasing their combined 317MW capacity by over 50% by purchasing one of the country’s largest onshore wind projects. And there’s more to come. Our development pipeline could more than treble this again.
It all points to a greener future - with energy suppliers and energy users working together to make a low-carbon, flexible energy system work for everyone.
References
^https://utilityweek.co.uk/scottish-government-raises-carbon-reduction-target/?utm_source=Utility+Week+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=1359267d7b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_05_29_05_45&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4b3e4ed9dc-1359267d7b-102081373&mc_cid=1359267d7b&mc_eid=237ab5eee4
*Based on profile class 1 medium Typical Domestic Consumption Values https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/gas/retail-market/monitoring-data-and-statistics/typical-domestic-consumption-values
