Consultation on Distribution Futures Energy Scenarios
Consultation Response
Credits — Gordon Morgan, Dr Keith Baker, Paul Gill, Brian Richardson, Iain Wright
Overview
Common Weal’s Energy Working Group responds to Scottish Power’s DFES Consultation.
Common Weal welcomes the opportunity to contribute to Scottish Power’s DFES questionnaire which lays out several scenarios for the future of energy distribution in Scotland and has asked key stakeholders to comment on them and offer alternative proposals.
We believe the security of energy supply and the decarbonisation of the economy to be amongst the most important tasks facing the Scottish and UK Government and indeed the world.
We believe that there is no going back to the world before Covid-19 and that many changes we have seen in behaviour including in energy consumption will be lasting.
In this consultation response, Common Weal’s Energy Policy Working Group have set out some of the ways we see these changes affecting DFES.
Key Points
The Scenarios presented overestimate the number of electric cars likely to be in use in Scotland by 2050 due to underestimating the rise of home working, car sharing, internet shopping and public transport.
Electric vehicles should be as discouraged from city centres as internal combustion vehicles will be. Instead, the focus should be on public transport and active travel.
Air-Sourced Heat Pumps are unlikely to generate enough heat for many houses in Scotland. District Heating Systems offer better outcomes with less strain on the electrical grid – especially for new buildings constructed to passive energy standards.
The Scottish Government should develop a national Energy Storage Strategy covering both electricity and heat.
Carbon Capture and Storage should not be used as part of a “net-zero” target though it may be required as part of post-2040 plans to remove CO₂ from the environment.
