Having a long-term energy strategy is vital for the Scottish economy

OVER recent years, the energy debate in Scotland has focused heavily on the price of oil and the direct impact this is having on Scotland’s oil and gas industry and on our economy more widely, where growth has lagged significantly behind that of the UK as a whole for the past 18 months. Beyond that, the issue of the viability and desirability of unconventional gas extraction or “fracking” seems to have been one of the few energy issues to get Scotland’s politicians animated.

Before this year’s Scottish Parliament elections, Scottish Chambers of Commerce called for some long-term thinking about energy in Scotland, looking forward towards what things might look like in 30 to 50 years’ time and what we need to do now to prepare for future scenarios.

It is welcome that the Scottish Government will shortly be publishing its Energy Strategy and Climate Change Plan.

We hope that it will meet the expectations of the industry in Scotland and the need to plan now to ensure that we are able to deliver upon our future energy requirements.

Every one of Scotland’s businesses has a stake in this. We are all energy users and we all have an interest in the future reliability, sustainability and affordability of our energy, be that in terms of electricity supply, heat or transport, and of course Scotland is a centre of excellence for a vast range of energy technologies, both established and emerging.

The economic impact of a long-term energy strategy will be vital for Scotland’s energy businesses and to help plan to develop the skills and talent that they will need to deliver on future opportunities.

Here it is important to stress that the sustainability of any energy technology must be viewed in terms of its economic sustainability as much as its environmental credentials.

There are big questions to be answered about what the future of oil and gas in Scotland will look like, how and where energy can be stored, whether hydrogen or electric vehicles are the future for transport, how district heating can be rolled out and how we design a planning system equipped to enable the timely delivery of energy projects.

All that in addition to addressing our current electricity supply needs and the desire that our governments at a Scottish and UK level co-operate seamlessly on this issue of vital strategic and economic importance.

So 2017 will be a year when energy is very much a key part of our agenda. Liz Cameron is chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce