Perthshire North MSP, Mr John Swinney welcomes a new funding package to encourage the use and local ownership of renewable energy – building on the success of community ownership in rural areas by encouraging projects in Scotland’s towns and cities.
23 projects across Scotland will benefit from £500,000 in funding from the Scottish Government’s Local Energy Challenge Fund. The Perth City River Tay Heat Pump has received funding to demonstrate that it is possible to safely use water heat pumps to capture renewable energy from an ecologically sensitive river such as the Tay without damaging wildlife. The plan is to create a District Heating Network which will supply heat to buildings adjacent to the Tay including buildings, Council buildings and residencies.
Figures published by the Scottish Government last month showed that community owned renewable energy capacity in Scotland grew by 27 per cent – with the potential to generate enough electricity to power around 100,000 homes.
Commenting, local MSP John Swinney said:
“I am pleased that Perth and Kinross Council have been successful in their bid to progress this exciting new opportunity for the city of Perth to benefit from Scotland’s incredible renewable potential.
“We know that existing community owned renewable projects in Scotland have the potential to power 100,000 homes – and this new Scottish Government funding and commitment to a distinctive approach in energy provision will see the sector continue to go from strength to strength.
“Scotland has an incredible opportunity to be a world leader in renewable energy which create jobs, help the environment and bring real benefits to our communities - and I am absolutely delighted that this funding will build on the existing successes in rural areas and ensure urban Scotland benefits from our vast renewable resources.”
Notes to editors
Further details can be found here: http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Renewable-energy-goes-to-town-1b1d.aspx
