Clackmannanshire Council Online

Council Notes Progress on Regional Energy Masterplan

An update on the progress of the Regional Energy Masterplan, part of the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, was presented to a special meeting of the Council today.

The Regional Energy Masterplan (REM) is a joint project with Stirling Council which will identify important large-scale as well as local energy projects and activities to ensure residents and businesses across Stirling and Clackmannanshire have resilient, secure and affordable energy supplies while reducing carbon emissions through:

• improving energy efficiency and removing poor energy efficiency as a driver for fuel poverty

• reducing energy demand; and reducing energy

• decarbonising and decentralising our energy systems (heating, power and transport) – matching local demand with local supply where possible through increased low carbon and renewable energy generation, and the integration of sustainable energy and transport.

The REM is part of the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal submission which has a strong focus on energy as a theme and, in particular, the importance of sustainable energy systems, in line with Scotland’s world-leading carbon reduction targets.

Council heard that progress with the REM is particularly important in light of the current COVID-19 situation. The potential of low carbon and renewable energy in creating new jobs and attracting new business into the area will form a major part of the area’s economic recovery plan and, alongside the Council’s forthcoming Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy will form a basis for a green recovery.

Councillors were told that subject to Scottish Government endorsement of a business case for the REM and finalised tender specification for consultants to carry out the project, approval to proceed with the project will be sought at the next available City Region Deal Joint Committee meeting.

Council leader, Cllr Ellen Forson, said: “This is a positive step forward for Alloa and Clackmannanshire as a whole. The projects, interventions and activities that will be part of REM will be outlined in the form of a road map over 25 years, in 5-year phases. They will then be prioritised in line with local and national priorities and targets which will  ensure investment in infrastructure that brings direct benefits to our communities, including fuel poverty reduction, carbon emissions reduction and regeneration of areas.

“Promoting local energy solutions, planned with community involvement will ensure that heat, energy and renewables opportunities are optimised in a safe, sustainable, end-user focused manner with community energy at its core, ensuring that energy master planning responds to local needs.”

Last week it was announced that a flagship 5G Connect Hub will be created in Alloa which will be the first of a series to be rolled out across Scotland to drive economic growth as part of the 5G Connect Programme.

The new hub will help develop Scotland’s International Environment Centre (SIEC), a City Region Deal project and partnership between the Council and Stirling University, as well as delivering digital platforms to support job creation, skills programmes and innovation support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research and development (R&D) activities.