The Scottish National Party (SNP) would improve the UK as a destination for renewables investment, the Scottish Government’s energy minister Fergus Ewing told IJGlobal this morning (29 April). 

Ewing was at the IJGlobal European Renewable Energy Investors Forum, which is taking place this week in St Andrews, Scotland. The Scottish business, energy and tourism minister was speaking at the event ahead of the May 7 election, in which his party, the Scottish National Party (SNP) is expected to make strong gains in Westminster seats, raising the possibility of the party forming part of a coalition.

Talking to IJGlobal on the sidelines of the event, the Minister refuted claims that the SNP would seek to splinter off the Scottish renewables industry were a coalition government to form between the party and another post-election. Prior to the Scottish referendum the SNP had mooted ideas of bringing Scottish renewables regulation under the control of a Scottish parliament. 

This morning Ewing pointed to the SNP’s work with Westminster to secure a billion-pound National Grid connection to the Orkney and Shetland Islands, which have some of the strongest renewables resources in the world, as evidence of the party's desire to work with Westminster.

"There's a real opportunity after May 7 for this type of work,” he said. However, Ewing was critical of some UK parties’ attitudes towards green energy investment. “There is a marked contrast [in our renewables policy] compared with the Conservatives and UKIP, for example. Why would developers want to invest in a place where they’re not welcome?”

Ewing added that Scotland has not ruled out a shale industry in the country, but needs a “national debate” on the issue, he said. The Scottish government imposed a moratorium on shale gas planning permits in the country in January this year, and the SNP has previously voted for a UK-wide moratorium. But Ewing said today that the party does not support an indefinite ban. Instead, “we need a national debate,” he said. “It’s wrong for us to proceed other than on the basis of evidence, and we lack that.” In contrast, the rest of the UK has a “gung-ho” attitude to shale gas exploration, he said.

Ewing also echoed the concerns of a number of renewables developers at the event with regards to certain terms in the UK’s new CfD subsidy regime. The scheme has already suffered casualties, with two developers already failing to meet the demands of the contracts. In particular, the minster criticised the “artificial and unrealistic” milestones that developers hit to secure the contracts, such as hitting 10% of total project spend by a certain time limit.

The regime “needs urgent review and reconsideration”, he said.