Levers for Green Recovery and Economic Recovery Switch into renewables, wind, solar. Should it be community based- self sustaining communities? Issues - transport, heating and agriculture. Heating for example could create employment, but who will pay? Consumer or government? Poorer people are more hit by Covid-19. Link to green agenda. Move domesticated heating systems away from gas and electricity. Sustainable improvements in housing - how will we pay for that?
Community generation could be local & off-grid but to be self-sufficient there needs to be local energy storage be it battery, hydrogen or gravitricity. Energy, a reserved matter, must be devolved as UK policy favours nuclear to the detriment of Scotland's renewables. Torness will be Scotland's last nuclear station. Hinkley Point C, beset with rising costs & delays, is under construction in England with a design life of 60yrs. As the supply price of nuclear rises renewable costs are falling.
I know there are government grants available, for example for electric vehicle charging points, but it isn't anywhere close to the tipping point to make this an option for the majority. Companies have skilled staff but the market just isn't there yet; public and private companies should be given tough measures to meet in terms of their carbon footprint as at the moment it's very much optional.
Important going forward but still too costly for most. Grants limited to those on benefits but exclude those just above that level. Everything new takes time to embed in and become cost effective. I am surrounded by wind turbines on and off shore, and one nuclear powerstation under decommissioning whilst across the water lies Sellafield (Winscale, so would love Scotland's green energy to blossom and replace nuclear power. Still a way to go though for average person to afford green energy.
Just saw this: https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/ps33bn-scottish-plan-unveiled-drive-green-recovery-pandemic-3124464
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