ScottishPower Renewables is committed to playing a leading role in the fight against climate change and we recognise the fundamental shift that is needed towards green energy powering clean lives – often referred to as the defining challenge of our time.
In 2019, the UK made a legally binding commitment to a zero carbon future, mandating a 2050 end date to its contribution to global warming. Going further than the UK Government, following the advice from the Committee on Climate Change, Scotland has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2045. We are also now seeing individual cities and regions committing to their own targets with Dumfries and Galloway Council seeking to achieve this by 2025. The challenge is enormous and requires far-reaching change – not only for government, local authorities, regulators and industry but for communities too.
To date SPR has contributed more than £38 million in community funding towards communities surrounding our operational onshore windfarms across the UK. This funding is directed by local communities towards initiatives improvements and local initiatives that are important to the community. With over £7 million being spent in Dumfries and Galloway, projects involving education, upskilling, increasing employability, sports and leisure, local events, tourism and improvements to local facilities have benefitted. We recognise that to reach Net Zero, every community will need to make changes and each community will be unique in that journey and we aim to help and guide local communities along the path to Net Zero.
Innovation is central to our thinking. SPR is continually looking at ways to incorporate a mix of renewable energy technologies into future developments, as well as maximising the efficiency of operational sites through co- location of other renewable energy and storage technologies.
Combining wind and solar technologies will enable us to add around 233MW of generating capacity and 31MW of storage to our Dumfries and Galloway projects, enough electricity to power over 140,000 homes and help deliver the UK and Scotland’s Net Zero targets.
Read how we aim to support communities, stakeholders and businesses on the journey towards Net Zero and continue our work with Dumfries and Galloway as a key delivery partner in our ambitions.