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Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has called on the new UK government to adopt a “collegiate approach” on energy policy and to take into account the views of the Scottish government.
She has urged prime minister David Cameron and new energy secretary Amber Rudd to make key decisions on energy policy after consulting and striking an agreement with the Scottish Government.
Sturgeon said: “Scotland is an energy powerhouse but we have very limited powers on energy policy.
“That is why I am calling on the UK to take a much more collegiate approach to policy-making and ensure proper consultation with the Scottish government on major policy areas.”
The first minister also urged the newly elected Conservative government to take action to support the development of renewable technologies, including the need to “provide reassurance” that subsidy arrangements for onshore wind will not change without agreement from Scottish ministers.
Sturgeon said the UK government needs to “provide sufficient flexibility and visibility within the levy control framework to allow the renewables industry to invest with confidence” and deliver cost reductions.
She repeated the call made by the Scottish National Party (SNP) for the transmission charging regime to be changed, and for “all possible options to avert the premature closure of Longannet Power Station” to be considered.
The first minister also urged for action to “address concerns over small-scale hydro feed-in tariff”, progress the delivery of island grid connections, and to “ensure the necessary support” for carbon capture and storage and pump storage schemes.
Sturgeon said: “We have achieved a great deal in the renewable field, however there is still much to do and Scotland’s natural potential makes it a cost-efficient place to develop renewable resources.
“We see a benefit to both Scotland and the rest of the UK in enabling this economically efficient development of renewable potential to continue.”
The SNP has also named MPs Calum Kerr and Callum McCaig as its environment and rural affairs and energy and climate change leaders respectively in Westminster.
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