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The Scottish Government has hit back at suggestions from Westminster that Scottish independence would damage the integrated single electricity market.

The rest of the UK needs Scotland’s electricity to meet its renewables targets and meet demand, a spokeswoman said.

She highlighted Ofgem’s prediction that UK electricity generation capacity would exceed demand by just 4 per cent in 2013.

“Scotland can – and will – generate electricity to help keep the lights on,” she said. “Given Scotland’s vast renewable resources, under independence, it will be in the rest of UK’s overwhelming interests to ensure support arrangements are in place to secure Scottish renewable energy.”

Two Scottish tidal power schemes were yesterday revealed as the only UK projects to win funding from Europe’s NER300 competition.

UK energy secretary Ed Davey warned last week a break-up of the union could lead to a more fundamentally separated market and rising costs. He said such a move “cannot possibly be in Scotland’s interests, or the rest of the UK’s”.