Help us build a Fair energy system for Scotland
A parliamentary briefing for MSPs
Our Power is a new coalition campaign that is calling on the Scottish Government to make sure people in Scotland get a fair share of our energy wealth. The campaign brings together Scottish communities, workers and organisations to raise the ambition of the government and create a fairer energy system in Scotland. All the changes we are calling for are practical, popular and in the power of the Scottish Government. More public ownership of renewables is backed by a clear majority of Scots with around two thirds supporting more community- and local authority-owned energy projects (63%; 68%), and a similar number (64%) in favour of publicly-owned wind manufacturing.
Scotland can have a fairer energy system
Scotland has everything it needs to win big from the energy transition – a proud industrial heritage, a skilled energy workforce and some of the best renewable resources in the world. Failure by successive Scottish and UK Governments to adequately plan for the transition over the past two decades means that the full benefits of the transition aren’t yet being felt here in Scotland. Long-promised green jobs haven’t materialised and the wealth from the transition is flowing to private companies, overseas investors and shareholders. The Scottish government is more trusted than Westminster to deliver a fair energy system, but fewer than one in five Scots think Scotland’s current energy policies deliver a good deal.
The new Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament have a huge opportunity to turn this around and build a fairer energy system – one that brings more wealth to the country and communities and more opportunities for workers and businesses. People across Scotland can become better off from owning a share of our future energy system – whether that’s the government bringing in revenue from taking a national stake in renewable energy projects, councils funding local services from operating their own local wind farm, or communities becoming more resilient by owning energy projects.
Our Power is calling on the Scottish Government to:
- Take a stake in all future offshore wind projects to generate public revenue. With offshore wind set to boom in Scotland, the Scottish Government must make sure that Scots benefit from the wealth it generates – and not just private companies, overseas investors and shareholders. A simple and fair way to do that is by taking a public stake in future projects. A 20% equity share – funded through bodies like the Scottish National Investment Bank – is a practical and affordable move. The government didn’t take any public stake in the first ScotWind round (and even sold the leases off too cheaply). There is an opportunity to ensure that Scotland gets a direct share of the profits from its natural resources in future rounds.
- Fund councils to invest in local renewable energy projects to generate local income. The energy transition is an opportunity to boost local services. Local councils are strapped for cash and it’s hitting public services. The ability to invest in local renewable energy projects can provide additional revenue streams for councils. Orkney Islands Council is showing the way, developing its own wind farms that will help fund social care, education and transport services for local people. The Scottish Government should make it possible for every council to do the same in partnership with local community groups.
- Give more local communities the chance to own energy projects. Where renewables are owned by communities, it funnels wealth from the energy transition directly into those communities. Profits are being used to meet local needs in housing, poverty, enterprise, transport and much more. Community ownership is commonplace across Europe, but here in Scotland less than 1% of onshore wind capacity is currently in community ownership. The Scottish Government can change this. Through a roadmap of policies that address barriers such as funding, access to land and procurement of electricity we can give communities a meaningful stake in our energy future.
- Create secure, well paid jobs by building an offshore wind manufacturing industry. Scotland has the chance to build a thriving wind manufacturing industry, but currently, despite our skilled workforce and plans for a massive rollout of offshore wind, Scotland doesn’t yet have enough manufacturers to meet demand. And those that exist are missing out because developer promises to “buy Scottish” aren’t being enforced. The new Scottish Government should invest directly to locate manufacturing in Scotland – taking public stakes in key manufacturers – and use its powers to support Scottish suppliers, guarantee good pay and union rights. The Scottish Government should also follow international leadership and create a publicly-owned wind manufacturing company to deliver priority components and return profits to the public.
Ready to help us build a fair energy system for Scotland?
Sign on to our Our Power MSP pledge and tell Scotland that you’re committed to working towards an energy system that puts our communities and workers before corporate profits.
“I will champion an energy transition that delivers more public, municipal and community ownership of energy, builds community wealth, and delivers jobs in manufacturing of renewables. I will challenge an energy system that puts corporate and shareholder profits first while public services struggle and communities get poorer. Instead, I will fight for a fairer, more prosperous Scotland where energy wealth is retained in Scotland and serves the public good.”
To sign on email Politics@OurPower.Scot
What’s next?
- Sign up to our email list for updates about the campaign.
- Press the Scottish Government to adopt the Our Power asks and use your voice in parliament to champion the campaign demands.
- Read the latest issue of the Scottish Beacon to find positive examples of community energy.
- Speak to your constituents about what they want from their energy future.