SNP members have voted overwhelmingly to back the creation of a state energy company in a bid to drive down carbon emissions and help to cut household bills.

On the second day of the party conference, being held remotely because of the pandemic, delegates backed an amended resolution calling for the firm to prioritise green methods of production.

It also proposed that when the company should set a priority to support "consumers of limited means who are most affected by high energy prices and prices must be equal across all of Scotland."

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The motion was put down by the party's Cromarty Firth Branch with member Rob Gibson, the former MSP, addressing the conference.

Gibson cited state energy companies which had been set up in other countries including Norway whose state energy company Equinor, formerly known as Statoil which has funded The Government Pension Fund of Norway, currently worth in the region of £1 trillion.

"We must learn from the state owned power companies of Norway, Denmark, France and the lander of Germany to pick a model to suit Scotland's needs," said Gibson.

"Ending the stop start energy policies designed in Westminster for the home counties requires major investment. We need a Scottish electricity grid not beholden to shareholder dividends but to serve our citizens, we demand social justice and fairness."

He added that there were many options for Scotland to produce "clean power" including on and off shore wind, as well as hydro, solar and tidal and in the future wave energy.

"Access to fair prices for producers and consumers are a no brainer," he said adding that unless action was taken to move forward with the proposals Scotland would "remain an energy colony under London rule".

He hit out at the privatisation of the electricity sector by the UK Government - which quoting energy commentator Dick Winchester - said had obliterated the Scotland's embryonic wind turbine industry and by "killing off the British national oil corporation took away the advantage that Norway had with Equinor."

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Gibson added: "Now the Tories have forced Brexit on us, the Union is nothing but an industrial and economic wrecking ball."

The resolution as amended was passed by 500 to 27 votes.

Today's debate follow previous backing by Nicola Sturgeon for a state energy company.

The First Minister said in 2017 the Scottish Government is to set up a publicly-owned, not-for-profit energy company.

She told the party's conference that the company will sell energy to customers at "as close to cost price as possible".

She said it would be set up by 2021, and would give people - particularly on low incomes - more choice of which supplier to use. However, plans by the Scottish Government were halted because of the pandemic.