MSPS are to hold an inquiry into the security of Scotland’s energy supply following the announcement of the closure of the country’s last coal-fired power station.
Members of the economy, energy and tourism committee will hear evidence on the UK electricity market.
It follows the announcement that the troubled Longannet plant in Fife will “in all likelihood’’ shut by March 2016 after losing out on a short-term National Grid contract.
Energy minister Fergus Ewing told parliament on Wednesday the expected closure was a national scandal and that he would “strain every sinew” to help struggling employees.
Unions warned on Monday that 270 workers directly employed at the station were at risk and a further 1250 jobs were threatened through transport and open-cast mining supply chain contracts.
Operator Scottish Power said the station had been under pressure from higher transmission charges to connect to the grid due to its location and had to pay an annual fee of £40 million to be connected.
Concerns have been raised over the future of Scotland’s energy supply in the wake of the closure news. The committee has issued a call for evidence and will begin hearing from witnesses in May.
Convener Murdo Fraser MSP said: “It is imperative that this inquiry starts a debate in Scotland about how we can secure Scotland’s energy supply and looks at the implications of the likely early closure of Longannet. There are a number of wider issues at play here, from the move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, significant reform to the UK electricity market, as well as the capability of the UK transmission network to meet demand.”
The committee is seeking views on whether there is enough generation in the system to meet demand until the end of the decade, and how peak demand might change over this timeframe.
The impact of a move to renewables to meet the SNP’s target of a largely non-carbon electricity system by 2030 will form a key part of the inquiry.
Union representatives and members of Fife Council were due to meet the energy minister late yesterday as moves to set up a task force on the closure get under way. An action plan is expected to assess what impact shutting the plant will have on the Fife economy as well as how to mitigate the damaging effects.
Billy Parker, senior industrial officer at Unite, said privatisation of the energy market should be examined.
He said: “Unite has long called for more public ownership and democratic decision-making in our energy industry, something that is badly needed to redress the massive imbalance caused by decades of de-regulation.”
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