Thousands of jobs could be created in the western and Northern isles through renewable energy development over the next 30 years, it has been claimed.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said green energy resources in the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland were “significant”.
He spoke out after Highland and islands SNP MSP Mike MacKenzie claimed the islands would be prevented from realising their economic potential unless they were connected to the mainland by a cable.
“If they were not connected because of a lack of support from the UK Government, would that government in a literal sense be cutting off those islands and their residents from those massive opportunities?” he added.
Mr Swinney said the backbencher was “absolutely right” about the scale of the opportunity facing the western and northern isles.
“There is potential to create up to 3,500 jobs in the Western Isles, almost 2,900 in the Shetland Islands and more than 4,500 in the Orkney Islands by 2030,” he added.
“We are working closely with the UK Government to reach an agreement that will create the opportunities to realise the abundant energy potential in our northern and western islands.”
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur said it was worth pursuing with the UK Government the idea of the Crown Estate “underwriting some of the risk and cost of putting in place the cable infrastructure”.
Mr Swinney promised that the issue would be examined and explored.
Meanwhile, Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser claimed thousands of new jobs could be created in Scotland from shale gas extraction.
He said the resource had delivered a 50% cut to wholesale energy costs in the United States, re-industrialised the economy and cut carbon emissions by millions of tonnes.
Mr Fraser, convener of Holyrood’s energy committee, asked the minister if his government would be “enthusiastic about pursuing the new opportunity?”.
Mr Swinney said: “The government and its regulatory authorities will give due consideration to any approaches that are made.”
