Unite turns up the heat over SNP 'energy gaps'
16th February 2009
Unite, Scotland's largest trade union, has today kept-up the
pressure on the SNP over the policy not to consider all viable and
established low carbon technologies. The UK government will press
the case that there should be a balanced energy approach including
renewables, clean coal and nuclear.
Jim Murphy MP, the Scottish secretary, is expected to criticise
the Scottish government's nuclear energy policy in a keynote speech
at the Public Information Materials Exchange 2009 conference in
Edinburgh, organised by the European Nuclear Association. At an
Energy Conference at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh last week organised
by Unite and Scottish Engineering, the energy minister Mike O'Brien
also criticised the SNP's energy policy.
There remain concerns about the ability of emerging renewables
to meet the Scottish government’s targets for renewable energy (50
per cent by 2020 with an interim target of 31 per cent by 2011) and
the intermittency of wind power. The Minister for Finance and
Sustainable Growth, John Swinney, at a STUC organised event on
Energy and Climate Change predicted that wave and tidal power would
not be mature nor commercially viable technologies for up to ten
years. Last week industry experts stated that while it is expected
that marine technology would play a major role in the future it was
predicted that the technology would not make a substantial
contribution for 20-30 years.
John Quigley, Unite Scottish secretary, said: “Today we have
heard from Nicola Sturgeon arguing that Scotland should not be
bullied into supporting nuclear power. However, it is the SNP who
are not listening. The first minister's own Council of Economic
Advisers is saying that guclear power should be seriously
considered as an option by the Scottish Government to help it meet
its target of cutting carbon emissions as are trade unions and
industry.
“This should not be a question of politics but this is what the
SNP is playing; it should be about what is the right approach to
help keep Scotland's lights on. There are concerns and unanswered
questions by the Scottish government about the deliverability of
its emerging renewables targets. It is right that investment and
support is directed towards realising the potential of emerging
renewables, but surely it is also right that Scotland has an energy
policy which will ensure we meet our carbon emissions targets but
also achieves the security of supply.
“Scotland should not be constrained by being forced to choose
between different energy sources but it should be about a full
appraisal of the available options. It is the SNP that is
placing ideology above the interests of Scotland's people.”
ENDS
For further information contact Andrew Brady on 0141 248 7131 or
Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite Press Office on 020 7420 8914 or
07980 224761.
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