This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Offshore renewable energy consents
29/04/2004
Scottish Ministers are to be given
consent powers to approve projects in new Renewable Energy
Zones in waters around Scotland.
The Executive currently has powers
relating to Electricity Act consents on land, and offshore
within a 12 mile limit off the coast of Scotland.
The Energy Bill currently going
through UK Parliament at Westminster provides for the
establishment of new Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) beyond
the 12 mile limit out to 200 miles or international
boundary lines, opening up the potential for offshore wind
and wave generation.
Discussions between the Executive, the
Scotland Office and the Department of Trade and Industry
have resulted in an agreement that consent powers in these
REZs outside the 12 mile limit in waters around Scotland
should be transferred to Scottish Ministers subject to the
UK Parliament approving the Energy Bill.
This means a consistent consent regime will
apply within 12 miles and in the new Renewable Energy Zone
beyond the 12 mile limit.
Deputy Enterprise Minister Lewis Macdonald
said:
"Development ofScotland's marine renewable energy resource will provide the
opportunity for us to gain the economic and environmental
benefits that our policies of supporting renewable energy
were designed to achieve. The provisions within the
Energy Bill will ensure a structured regime for the
development of these resources and it is greatly to be
welcomed that we will have powers to consent projects in
waters adjacent to
Scotland."
Scottish Secretary Alistair Darling
was in Aberdeen today to meet representatives of the
business community at a dinner hosted by The Robert Gordon
University.
He said:
"The world beating expertise in
offshore technology built up over the years in the oil and
gas industries has a real read across to the developing
renewable energy market, ensuring Aberdeen will be well
placed to benefit from future opportunities in
renewables.
"Over the longer term we want to build
a much more diverse renewable energy sector. Wind energy is
the form of renewable energy with best prospects for
expansion in the years immediately ahead.
Other renewables technologies, for example
wave and tidal energy, will also play a part in the
future.
"It is a sensible approach to have a
one stop shop approach for renewable energy consents. This
is a good example of the UK Government and the Scottish
Executive working together and is a good example of
devolution in practice."