Study to boost Stornoway as ‘electric town’
Stornoway is one of 10 Scottish towns which will benefit from in-depth government support, delivered by the Energy Saving Trust, to a number of local authorities as part of plans for Scotland’s electric towns and cities.
The Programme for Government 2018/2019 outlined an ambition to extend the scope of the Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund and deliver 20 electric towns before 2025.
These locations will facilitate a radical transformation in the uptake of plug-in electric vehicles in Scotland’s towns and cities.
Round one of the Challenge Fund was launched in June 2018 and bids are currently being assessed.
Additionally, the Switched on Towns and Cities programme is providing support for the 10 feasibility studies in 2018/19 to develop a future pipeline of potential infrastructure developments across the country. Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said it was an important step forward in the Scottish Government’s commitments within the Programme for Government to introduce 20 electric towns before 2025 and to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.
The feasibility study will help to stimulate electric vehicle adoption in and around Stornoway, looking at opportunities for battery storage.