A TOP Tory minister has “inadvertently made the case for independence” by hailing energy statistics which critics have said highlight England’s reliance on Scotland for fuel.
UK Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng took to social media last week to hail what he framed as the British bulwark against the global energy crisis.
But the minister has been accused of showing too much of Westminster’s hand by touting figures which demonstrated the outsized contribution Scotland made to the UK’s energy market.
Kwarteng said renewables projects capable of generating 8.6 gigawatts (GW) – equivalent to the energy produced by burning around 740 tonnes of crude oil – were being built across the UK.
According to the Scottish Government, around 3.1GW, or 36%, of that was being constructed in north of the Border. A spokesman said this appeared only to relate to the creation of on and offshore wind farms.
And Kwarteng – who has been tipped to become chancellor if Liz Truss is elected the next prime minister tomorrow – also highlighted a figure showing gas production, which is understood largely to be from Scotland, to be up by 26%.
Some 61% of UK-produced gas came from Scotland, according to the most recent count carried out in 2019.
Alan Brown, the SNP’s energy spokesperson, said: “Kwarteng has confirmed what we all know – energy security concerns are largely a rest of the UK issue, not one for energy-rich Scotland. While we are still transitioning away from oil and gas, an independent Scotland would be in surplus with the current exploration rates.
“Going back to the statistics quoted, which are so reliant on Scotland, Kwarteng has inadvertently made the case for independence.
“Their inaction on many other important policy matters as well as the unfair grid charging system further demonstrates that the quicker Scotland is independent the better in order to grow more low-cost energy, supporting our bill payers and creating massive job opportunities.”
Greens MSP Maggie Chapman said that Scotland was being “held back by a devolution settlement that puts the economic levers in the hands of a cruel and anti-climate Tory government”.
She added: “We have a huge renewable potential and, particularly with the powers of independence, we can use it to fuel the green industrial revolution that we badly need, and a fair and just transition away from fossil fuels.”
The SNP and Greens have also said the UK Government failing in the fight to tackle the climate crisis.
Chapman said: “The UN has warned that it is code red for humanity, and all governments need to start acting like it.
“With household bills skyrocketing, and the prospect of a long, cold, dark winter, it is clear that we need an energy policy that works for people and the planet, not one that just funnels millions into the pockets of the already wealthy.”
Brown added that the Tories had broken promises in creating eco-friendly carbon capture and storage (CCS) schemes in Aberdeenshire and the central belt.
He added: “Peterhead and St Fergus represent the best CCS proposals within the UK – currently being held back by the politics of the Tories trying to appeal to the ‘red wall’ in the north of England.
“This means the UK Government is also blocking our net zero pathway as this CCS cluster would address the two biggest greenhouse gas emitters in Scotland – Peterhead Power Station and Grangemouth.”
It comes after Alba protested what they dubbed the “Berwick Bank Robbery”, referring to a new offshore wind farm development off the coast of East Lothian.
Documents seen by The National last month showed that 44% of the power generated by the wind farm would go to England, meaning Scotland would see just 2.3GW of the total energy produced by the project.
THE party’s deputy leader Kenny MacAskill, MP for East Lothian, said: “It is absurd that we live in a country that generates enough electricity from renewables to power every home, and we are self-sufficient in gas, but close to 80% of Scots face the prospect of fuel poverty because of soaring energy costs.
“Scotland is a global leader in energy, with independence, we can provide lower energy bills for every Scot and instead of our resources being squandered by Westminster, we can utilise them to rid Scotland of poverty.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “Security of energy supply is a key priority for the whole UK. Our secure and diverse energy supplies will ensure households, businesses and industry can be confident they can get the electricity and gas they need.
“Britain is at a strategic advantage compared to other European countries through access to our own North Sea gas reserves, steady imports from reliable partners like Norway, the second largest LNG port infrastructure in Europe, and a gas supply underpinned by robust legal contracts.
“Thanks to a massive £90 billion investment in clean energy in the last decade, we have one of the most reliable and diverse energy systems in the world, and unlike Europe, we are not dependent on Russian energy imports.”
