Earth Equity News

Scotland on Target for 31% Wind-Powered Electricity by 2011. By Nina Sovich, Reuters, February 8, 2010. "Scotland is on track to beat its target to get 31% of its electricity from renewables by 2011 and aims to one day generate all its power from green energies, the country's First Minister, said Alex Salmond, who heads the Scottish government and the National Party... Scotland will also likely meet its target of deriving 50 percent of its electricity consumption from renewables by 2020 and become the 'green energy powerhouse of Europe,' he said. Salmond, who is a proponent of Scottish independence from the United Kingdom, said his party was committed to renewable energy as a way to ensure the country's energy security. Scotland will also have to cope in the coming decades with the maturing of North Sea oil and gas reserves, which could hurt local employment. To offset such job losses, Salmond is betting on the renewable energy sector."