Referendum delay threatens renewables investment

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael has warned that continued uncertainty over Scotland’s constitutional future could hit investment in renewable energy projects in the Northern Isles.

Mr Carmichael was commenting after analysts from one of the world’s largest banks told investors that they did not believe that the Scottish government’s commitment to independence was compatible with securing the necessary public support to drive growth in the renewable sector.

In their report, Citibank analysts argued that the size of the consumer base in an independent Scotland is not large enough to provide the subsidy required to reach the Scottish government’s renewable energy targets.