Energy Strategy Consultation
The purpose of this consultation is to seek the views of interested parties on the draft Shetland Energy Strategy.
The Shetland Energy Strategy provides an opportunity to put in place a framework to support decision making on local energy transition projects. The long term outcomes of energy transition are clear but the short to medium term actions are less clear and are at times contradictory. We require a Shetland approach, which recognises our legitimate interests and concerns.
The intended audience for the strategy is the local community and any stakeholders we wish to engage in energy projects.
The development of the Shetland Energy Strategy has been Council-led and aligns with and builds on other place-based strategies such as the Shetland Community Plan.
The Strategy aims to provide a framework for all organisations and stakeholders to align action, recognising the need for a Shetland approach.
The Action Planning Toolkit will be developed to ensure organisations and stakeholders have access to up to date information which will support project development and delivery.
The reason why the Council decided it needed to spend time on developing and drafting an Energy Strategy for Shetland is that we are in a period of rapid global energy transition with a great deal of uncertainty.
History has shown that places where major socio-economic change has been abrupt and unmanaged take decades to recover from the impacts. Whereas places which have had high levels of engagement and participation with a clear link to community benefit fare much better.
An example to learn from is the Sullom Voe negotiations when oil and gas was introduced to Shetland in the 1970s, which ensured a deal for Shetland.
The Energy Strategy extends out to 2045 in line with the Net Zero target for Scotland but will be a live document to reflect the ever-changing energy landscape.
We have produced a Word Document copy of the strategy consultation questions for you to use in order to prepare your responses to the survey.