Power with a Purpose

To meet our national requirements for electricity, we need to supercharge growth in the clean energy sector. That was the big-picture backdrop to the annual All-Energy Exhibition and Conference last week. However, at the same time as we are all endeavouring to deliver continuing power efficiencies, we are facing structural changes to our economy and individual daily lives that means demand for power will continue to grow, and grow quickly.

Whether it is the switch to electric vehicles, the decarbonisation of domestic heating, or the impact of AI on demand for data processing capability, the essence of the just transition is that we will continue to use less carbon intensive energy, whilst demanding ever more clean green energy. Indeed, estimates suggest our overall demand for electricity is set to double by 2050.

Last week, there was an overwhelming sense of the dynamic and strategic moves being made across the power sector to meet that growth in demand. No visitor could fail to have been impressed by the innovation, creativity and passion in the sector today. There was a clear industry focus on the impact that our innovative new approaches to developing clean, green power generation and storage will have on ensuring that the energy network of the future delivers. The sheer scale of the challenge requires a number of changes across the sector.

The challenges presented by the deficiencies of the current grid have been well publicised, and are rightly being tackled as part of the National Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, aiming to provide the links we need between point of generation and point of consumption. However, we also need to think creatively about the direct connections to power green industrial growth in the coming decades.

Muirhall Energy is continuing to build on our strong track record of project delivery and this experience allows us to reflect on ways that our generation projects can be the trigger to deliver cheap power connections - creating local industrial growth opportunities.

That’s evident at our proposed wind farm, North Logiealmond, where we are exploring the opportunity to deliver local low cost energy solutions which would also help alleviate grid challenges and help deliver regional strategic economic growth.

Whilst our overall aim is to support our national Clean Power Plan, the new focus for our industry, in my view, needs to be “Power with a Purpose”. Delivering power with a resolute focus on meeting that long term energy need. To do this we, as an industry, need to do better in two respects.

Firstly, we clearly need to re-make the case for decarbonising energy systems - a whole new generation needs to be convinced of the benefits of sustainable power, lower bills and security of supply.

Secondly, we need to anticipate future demand and bring forward proposals to meet it, locally and regionally, just as much as nationally. Local people and businesses across Scotland will demand no less.

Communities are, and always will be central to the work we do, and are key to the success of this new focus on purpose. They will continue to have their community wealth boosted by shared benefits from generation, and will, rightly, want to share in the benefits of regional economic growth.

Muirhall Energy has a real focus on the benefits of generation, sharing the positives with the community, and the local businesses located there. But we, like others in the industry, must now ensure that our justified focus on grid improvement and reform does not cloud the opportunities presented by creativity and flexibility in meeting local needs, specifically when working with regional authorities and agencies to support their mission to build sustainable economic growth.

Do that, and we will take further big strides towards delivering the plan for Clean Power by 2030, be ready for grid and market reforms, and ensure that - despite any short term turbulence - our journey to net zero is maintained.

Andrew Liddell, Director of Business Developement