Scotland's energy future faces major hurdles

Scotland faces "substantial obstacles" in its drive to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining reliable and affordable sources of energy, a study said.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh said compromises and compromises would be needed to help meet future energy needs.

The company's experts have called for the creation of a new independent Scottish commission on energy.

The Scottish and British governments are committed to reducing carbon emissions.

At the same time, major Scottish energy companies have invested in green energy.

And the British oil and gas sector has said "to be listening" to climate change concerns.

The report of the Royal Society of Edinburgh came out after a two-year investigation, which included interviews with experts, industry figures and the public.

Scotland has managed to virtually eliminate coal burning in recent decades, while being able to produce 100% of its electricity from renewable sources on "favorable days".

But the report calls for more, including:

• Scottish and UK governments must review investment decisions in the energy sector "on schedule"

• Increase the capacity to store energy

• Stricter rules to improve the energy efficiency of new homes and other buildings

• Increase investment in testing community energy programs and "energy education" in schools, colleges and universities.

Teacher. Rebecca Lunn, a professor at the University of Strathclyde, who co-chaired the company's investigation, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: "This is about heat and transport.

"We still have about 80% oil and gas, and we need to move from low carbon to low carbon, which is a big challenge."

Professor Lunn said conversion of domestic gas-fired heating appliances to run on basement heat was one of the options – but added that these types of projects were expensive.

"At the end of the day, we have to do things differently, so we need to increase the amount of renewable energy, but that's not enough to be enough to produce what we need in the long run," he said. she adds.

"Energy is likely to become more expensive and we need to fight this because we already have social justice issues in Scotland around the heat that people can afford."

According to the report of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, no energy policy would solve the problems mentioned, while underlining that many methods of energy production had advantages and disadvantages, including:

• Carbon capture and storage could limit climate damage, but required "a very high level of ongoing investment"

• The development of new green energy systems such as solar and tidal power, as well as the switch from natural gas to hydrogen, could significantly reduce carbon emissions, but would also require significant investment.

• Providing energy from one source to several buildings, called district heating, could help people who are struggling to pay their energy bills, but presents "high upfront costs"

• "Significant reserves of oil and gas" on the British continental shelf are a sure source of energy, but the burning of fossil fuels continues to worsen the problem of climate change.

• Shale gas and fracking could improve energy security, but there is "significant uncertainty" about the amount stored underground.

• Nuclear power plants "provide Scotland with a significant amount of safe and reliable generation", but building new ones, managing nuclear waste and decommissioning entails "substantial costs".

The report was released as major energy companies such as Scottish Power and SSE invested in green energy projects.

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