A former chief executive of Dana Petroleum has criticised alleged contradictions in the Scottish Government’s energy policies.
Stuart Paton has called for an overarching framework policy from politicians including its approach to fuel poverty, security of supply and climate change.
He said the way in which the North Sea oil and gas industry is viewed is different to the way in which potential onshore energy is looked at, because it’s “just over the horizon”.
The former boss and advisor to the oil and gas industry has written a chapter on energy in a yet-to-be published book by the think tank Reform Scotland.
The Scottish Government said it was “committed to supporting renewables, alongside the oil and gas sector”.
Paton said there was a distinct difference in how the likes of potential shale gas or fracking were viewed to that of onshore windfarms.
He said: “I have spent my whole career in exploration and production and I’m very much in favour of the government being in support of the North Sea industry.
“What I was trying to point out was two things – what seems strange to me – the Scottish Government is in support of the offshore industry but not the onshore industry.
“If we want to develop onshore it has a direct impact on people living in the direct area but so do wind farms.
“The depth of feeling against onshore fracking seems be viewed in a very different way to the concerns of people who live next to windfarms.
“The view of the oil and gas industry has always been positive because it’s just over the horizon.
“I think there are a lot of concerns about onshore gas which are unfounded.”
Writing earlier this week in the Sunday Times, the leading industry figure said there was “ambiguities and inconsistencies” within Scottish energy policy.
He said although the Scottish Government had rejected nuclear power, it showed “unbridled” support for the oil and gas industry.
Paton said while the Scottish Government pushed renewable energy production, CO2 emissions generated by consuming the UK’s daily oil production was equivalent to 30 times Scotland’s annual
electricity generation.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “Scotland’s electricity generation policy sets out the Scottish Government’s support for a balanced mix of electricity generation.
“The Scottish Government recognises the important role that the oil and gas industry will continue to play in energy generation and the key role it plays in meeting current and future energy needs whilst over the long term we move to a low carbon energy system.
“The Scottish Government is committed to supporting renewables, alongside the oil and gas sector, and we have made significant progress towards our renewable electricity targets with provisional figures showing renewable sources generated a record 49.8% of Scotland’s gross electricity consumption in 2014 – ensuring we are well on course to meet our interim target of 50% by
2015.
“Moreover, the oil and gas industry is well placed to assist the deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage in depleted oil and gas fields, and by the use of CCS to obtain enhanced oil recovery. We believe that CCS technology must be implemented to de-carbonise energy generation and is therefore essential to realise carbon emission reduction.
“In addition, the skills that have been built up over a half century of oil and gas extraction from the North Sea are valuable in assisting the development of offshore wind industry operating in the same harsh marine conditions.
“Petroleum, gas and by products will continue to be required for feedstocks for the chemical industry, and the success of oil and gas helps to sustain economic growth enabling investment in green technologies.”
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