Community renewables’ progress welcome but more needed

Reacting to the announcement by the First Minister that communities are now receiving £10m a year from renewable energy schemes in their area, Dr Richard Dixon, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“It is welcome that communities are benefiting from renewables projects but we should be going further to ensure they should be owning and running their own schemes. When communities own and operate schemes they are taking control of their energy future and keep a larger proportion of the income within the area.

“The Scottish Government has done well in hitting its community & locally owned energy target 5 years early but now they need to raise our ambition for 2020 and beyond.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement at the Scottish Green Energy Awards in Edinburgh last night.

2. Friends of the Earth Scotland is:
* Scotland's leading environmental campaigning organisation
* An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland
* Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 75 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups.
www.foe-scotland.org.uk