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Chamber and committees

An Energy Strategy for Scotland

  • Submitted by: Murdo Fraser, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
  • Date lodged: Monday, 23 February 2015
  • Motion reference: S4M-12395
  • Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Motions as amended

S4M-12395 Murdo Fraser: An Energy Strategy for Scotland—That the Parliament notes with concern the latest threats to the continued operation of Longannet Power Station in Fife, brought about by the UK’s discriminatory transmission charging regime; further notes that cleaner thermal generation progressively fitted with carbon capture and storage technology will continue to play an important role in securing Scotland’s future energy mix, alongside the expansion of renewables, as set out in the Scottish Government’s Electricity Generation Policy Statement 2013; recognises that UK energy policy and regulation actively discourages the construction of new conventional thermal generating plants in Scotland compared with other locations in the UK, given the higher transmission charges faced by Scottish generators; shares the Scottish Government’s disappointment at the further delay in implementing transmission pricing reforms stemming from Ofgem’s Project TransmiT; recognises the significant progress in renewables deployment in Scotland, with over 44% of gross electricity consumption met from renewable sources in 2013; supports the need for increased investment in large-scale flexible electricity storage solutions, including pumped storage, to complement the increasing deployment of renewable technologies, and further supports the First Minister’s call for the UK Government to undertake a dedicated electricity capacity assessment for Scotland and to transfer to the Scottish Parliament the authority to set a Scottish security and quality of supply standard for electricity.”

Vote

Result 61 for, 53 against, 0 abstained, 13 did not vote Vote Passed

Scottish National Party

Scottish Labour

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Scottish Liberal Democrats

For
0
Against
Abstained
0
Did not vote
0

Independent

For
Against
Abstained
0
Did not vote
0

Scottish Green Party

For
0
Against
Abstained
0
Did not vote
0

Original motion text

That the Parliament notes with concern the latest threats to the continued operation of Longannet Power Station in Fife, contributing 25% of Scotland’s electricity output at its peak; urges Scottish Power and National Grid to work toward a resolution of the transmission charging issue, but recognises that EU emissions rules and carbon pricing mean that the future of Longannet beyond 2020 is very uncertain; further notes that Scotland’s two nuclear power stations, at Torness and Hunterston, which produced 35% of Scotland’s electricity output between them in 2013, are due to close by 2025; acknowledges the significant loss of electricity generating capacity that this is likely to cause in the next decade; notes that renewable energy, while having a part to play in the energy mix, cannot supply baseload from intermittent sources and that the Scottish Government is opposed to any new nuclear stations being built, and calls on the Scottish Government to bring forward as a matter of urgency a new energy strategy, setting out how new generating capacity will be created to ensure that the lights are kept on without Scotland having to rely on importing energy from the rest of the UK.

Accepted amendments

Motion ref. S4M-12395.1

An Energy Strategy for Scotland - Amendment - Amendment

Submitted by: Fergus Ewing, Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party, Date lodged: Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Supported by: John Swinney
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Result 61 for, 53 against, 0 abstained, 13 did not vote Vote Passed

Defeated amendments

Motion ref. S4M-12395.2

An Energy Strategy for Scotland - Amendment - Amendment

Submitted by: Patrick Harvie, Glasgow, Scottish Green Party, Date lodged: Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Supported by: John Finnie, Alison Johnstone, Jean Urquhart
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Result 5 for, 79 against, 30 abstained, 13 did not vote Vote Defeated

Amendments that have not been voted on

Motion ref. S4M-12395.3

An Energy Strategy for Scotland - Amendment - Amendment

Submitted by: Lewis Macdonald, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date lodged: Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, February 25, 2015