Committee
Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, 13 May 2009
13 May 2009 · S3 · Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee
Item of business
Energy Inquiry
It is a synchronised activity. Were I not here this morning, I would be there.I will read out the entire list of those who are involved, from the First Minister down. That commitment from the very top is significant. Jim McDonald, the principal of the University of Strathclyde, will be co-chair of the board. He has been a pivotal figure down the years in the energy technology partnership. We also have Stephen Boyd of the Scottish Trades Union Congress; Sandy Cumming of Highlands and Islands Enterprise; Mike Farley, director of technology at Doosan Babcock Energy, which is developing carbon capture and various other clean technologies; Charles Hammond, group chief executive of Forth Ports; Councillor Alison Hay of Argyll and Bute Council and spokesperson for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on environment, sustainability and community safety; Nick Horler, chief executive of Scottish Power; Andrew Jamieson, chairman of Scottish Renewables; Paul Lewis, managing director of industries and policy at Scottish Enterprise; Jim McColl, chairman and chief executive of Clyde Blowers and a member of the Council of Economic Advisers; Ian Marchant, chief executive of Scottish and Southern Energy; Brian Nixon, director of energy in Scottish Enterprise; Jack Perry, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise; Maf Smith, director of the Sustainable Development Commission Scotland; our own David Wilson, director of enterprise, energy and tourism with the Scottish Government; Malcolm Webb, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK; and Sir Ian Wood, chief executive of Wood Group.
In the same item of business
The Convener (Iain Smith):
LD
Welcome to the 15th meeting of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee in 2009. This is the penultimate session in our energy inquiry, and the first of two...
The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism (Jim Mather):
SNP
I introduce David Rennie, Colin Imrie and Sue Kearns. Jamie Hume will undoubtedly be here—I suspect that the vagaries of ScotRail have snarled him up.I welco...
The Convener:
LD
Thank you for those opening remarks. On waste, we have the reduce, reuse, recycle hierarchy. What is the energy hierarchy? What are the priorities—in order?
Jim Mather:
SNP
In Scotland, we have set out a clear strategy for the future—renewable energy and clean use of fossil fuels—and have in place our 10 pledges. We are involved...
The Convener:
LD
On the issue of how you set about delivering on energy, the key sector report, which you circulated to the committee yesterday afternoon, indicates that the ...
Jim Mather:
SNP
It is happening this morning.
The Convener:
LD
So it has not taken place already.
Jim Mather:
SNP
It is a synchronised activity. Were I not here this morning, I would be there.I will read out the entire list of those who are involved, from the First Minis...
The Convener:
LD
Thank you for that information. I do not think that you mentioned anybody who is involved in energy efficiency on that list. Is there representation on energ...
Jim Mather:
SNP
Jim McDonald, Stephen Boyd, Councillor Alison Hay, Maf Smith and various others are well capable of representing that issue. I honestly believe that the Firs...
The Convener:
LD
You have also indicated that there will be three minister-led energy theme groups. There will be one on oil and gas, one on renewables—building on the work o...
Jim Mather:
SNP
We will.
The Convener:
LD
However, energy efficiency is again missing. Why is there no theme group on that?
Jim Mather:
SNP
There is an issue of focus. Energy efficiency will permeate all the groups, which is perfectly right and seemly. I will chair the three groups, and I will en...
Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab):
Lab
Given what you have said, I find it odd that you have not included in the Scottish energy advisory board anyone from the energy efficiency sector, the house ...
Jim Mather:
SNP
That is true, but the board is very much about looking to the future, which we have very clearly mapped out.I take on board your comments and give you an abs...
Lewis Macdonald:
Lab
The broader the input from the energy sector, the better. As we have mentioned, there are a couple of fairly glaring omissions from the advisory board. We mi...
Jim Mather:
SNP
We will consider your comments.
Lewis Macdonald:
Lab
Like you, I am fully in favour of optimising systems. In two of the three areas in which you have ministerial-led theme groups, we already have very effectiv...
Jim Mather:
SNP
It will feed into what is going on. Last year, David Rennie and I ran an event in your home town of Aberdeen that included a three-hour session with 40 repre...
Lewis Macdonald:
Lab
I hear what you are saying. Having attended PILOT meetings, I understand how the process works. It is a forum in which industry and Government come together ...
Jim Mather:
SNP
It will mean that I will attend PILOT meetings even better informed. We have been closely involved with the broad spectrum of the energy industry and with PI...
Lewis Macdonald:
Lab
You have described how you see that relationship developing in relation to oil and gas. What is the intention in relation to renewables, for which you have m...
Jim Mather:
SNP
They are all part of a whole. I am always a bit nervous of using the word "or"—it is such a small word; I prefer the word "and". Together we can build a situ...
Lewis Macdonald:
Lab
But surely the industry needs to know the answer to the "or" question? If the renewables industry wants to know where to take a steer on Government policy, d...
Jim Mather:
SNP
The function is really an issue of bandwidth. FREDS focuses exclusively on renewables, so it crunches through a huge amount of data. I would expect FREDS and...
Lewis Macdonald:
Lab
So FREDS will report to the energy advisory board.
Jim Mather:
SNP
That is overformalising the situation—it is unhelpful to put it in that way.
Lewis Macdonald:
Lab
This is clearly new information for the committee, but it is important that we understand what you envisage the relationship between FREDS and the energy adv...
Jim Mather:
SNP
The relationship is a component of us all being involved in trying to optimise the energy sector in Scotland. That parity of esteem, that joint-and-several a...