ENERGY Minister Michael Shanks has been blasted for boasting about renewable power in Glasgow while the UK Government is reportedly set to sign off on further drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.
On Friday, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) issued a release celebrating the Commonwealth Games being powered by renewable energy.
The department claimed that wind and solar projects consented to by the UK Government since they came to power in July 2024 could generate enough electricity in a day that would power 850 billion television sets for the duration of a 100 metre sprint – approximately 11 seconds.
They also suggested the same amount of electricity could inflate over 900 billion netballs using an electric pump or lighting almost 700,000 Olympic-standard velodromes for one hour.
It comes as several newspapers have reported that new Prime Minister Andy Burnham is poised to “move quickly” to scale up oil and gas production in the North Sea.
Burnham and new Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh, who visited Aberdeen on Thursday, are said to be considering whether to sign off on production at Rosebank and Jackdaw fields in the North Sea.
However, approving production in the fields will not lower energy bills, and the plans have come under fire from environmental campaigners.
Celebrating the Commonwealth Games being powered by low-carbon energy, Shanks said: "The Games show what is possible when we build the clean power Britain needs, and we're making great progress.
"By generating our own energy we protect families from global price shocks and at the same time create thousands of jobs across Scotland – growth in every postcode of the country".
In response, a spokesperson for the Scottish Greens said: “While the power to inflate 900 billion netballs may be impressive, Labour’s climate credibility remains completely deflated.
“It is nothing compared with the amount of hot air Michael Shanks is producing and apparently not enough to power the lightbulb he needs to spot the contradiction in backing renewables and new oil fields at the same time.”
They added that Labour cannot boast about renewable power in Glasgow while preparing to approve Rosebank and Jackdaw.
“These developments would do nothing to cut household bills, but would hand billions more to fossil fuel giants while blowing a hole in Scotland’s climate targets,” they added.
“Michael Shanks can count televisions, netballs and velodromes all he wants, but all his gimmicky comparisons would be blown out of the water by the costly nuclear power stations and climate-wrecking oil fields his government in London appears determined to impose on Scotland.
“Scotland does of course have enormous renewable potential, but it must be matched by investment in publicly owned clean energy, affordable bills and secure green jobs: not more of the same handouts to oil giants and costly nuclear projects.”
SNP MSP David Linden added: “The brass neck of Michael Shanks to boast about the energy powering the Commonwealth Games when his Labour Government is ruining Scottish energy jobs and destroying investment in renewables.
“Poor Michael Shanks thought he was being passed the Scotland Office baton, but it was all a false start as he was left high and dry by Douglas Alexander and Anas Sarwar.”
It comes after the UK Labour Government was slammed for identifying sites in Scotland for nuclear power plants despite the Scottish Government’s ongoing opposition to new developments.
The report from Great British Energy Nuclear, published in June, identified three sites already linked with nuclear power, and other areas they see as ripe for development in the Firth of Forth estuary and eastern coast of Scotland.
