Rescaling the Governance of Renewable Energy: Lessons from the UK Devolution Experience

Figures & data

Table 1. Devolution of energy-related powers in the UK

Country	Energy policy is …	Provision of market support for renewable energy	Planning and consents (onshore)	Planning and consents^a (offshore)	Economic development spending
Northern Ireland	Fully devolved	Fully devolved	Fully devolved	Fully devolved	Fully devolved
Scotland	Executively devolved	Scope to shape delivery of some schemes	Fully devolved	Fully devolved	Fully devolved
Wales	Not devolved	No powers	Partial powers over planning policy and consent for smaller schemes (below 50MW)	Power to determine applications up to 1MW (exception under Transport and Works Act 1992)	Fully devolved
UK & England	Full competence	Full competence	Full policy competence for England, partial for Wales; full competence over major projects (50 MW plus)	Full competence for English and Welsh Waters (subject to Welsh exceptions, above)	Fully devolved

^aWe set aside the issue of marine licensing powers, and consenting for onshore connections, for simplicity. The offshore regime applies principally to applications in UK territorial waters (i.e. up to 12 nautical miles and designated renewable energy zones).

Table 2. Renewable energy targets and aims of the devolved governments

	Target (at November 2014) (a)	Example of previous target (year set) (b)	Key sources
UK level	15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020	10% of electricity generated from renewables by 2010 (2000)	(a) DECC (2011a) (b) Department of Trade and Industry (2000)
Northern Ireland	40% of electricity consumption sourced from renewables by 2020	Ensuring that 12% of electricity is generated from indigenous sources by 2012 (2008)	(a) DETI (2010) (b) Nigel Dodds, Energy Minister, Northern Ireland Executive, 10 January 2008
Scotland	Matching 100% of Scottish electricity consumption with renewables by 2020	18% of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2010, rising to 40% by 2020	(a) Scottish Government (2011) (b) Scottish Executive (2003)
Wales	Meeting the equivalent of twice 2010 Welsh electricity consumption from renewables by 2025 (see note 8)	Renewable electricity production targets for Wales of 4TWh per annum for 2010 and 7TWh for 2020 (2005)	(a) WAG (2010) (b) WAG (2005)

Figure 1. Installed renewable energy capacity 2003–2013 (MW). Source: DECC, 2014b.

Table 3. Installed capacity of renewable electricity sites, 2013

	Hydro	Wind	Wave and tidal	Landfill gas	Sewage gas	Other bioenergy	Solar PV	MWe total
England	31.7	5154.6	0.1	869.5	179.1	2565.9	2336.7	11137.7
Wales	151.3	771.0	–	45.5	13.1	38.1	143.6	1162.9
Scotland	1501.0	4701.2	5.9	114.3	5.6	143.1	119.1	6590.1
Northern Ireland	8.5	579.3	1.2	12.4	0.2	14.5	28.2	644.3
Other sites	–	2.9	–	–	–	–	152.3	155.2
UK total	1692.6	11209.0	7.2	1041.7	198.0	2761.9	2779.8	19690.2

Source: DECC (2014b, p. 50).

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