Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser is calling for the Scottish Government to clarify its renewable jobs strategy in light of evidence detailing that £13bn of taxpayer subsidies has created fewer than 10,000 jobs.
Statistics revealed by the UK Energy and Climate Change Department has shown that over the past three years only 9,143 jobs have been generated from £13.4bn of investment in Scottish green energy schemes.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“These statistics underline the current discrepancy between the level of subsidy money devoted to renewables projects and the number of jobs created.
“In 2011 Alex Salmond claimed that the green sector would one day support 130,000 jobs, right now those calculations are looking very optimistic.
“What we need is some honesty from the Scottish Government regarding the state of renewable job creation. Already this year we have had the First Minister downgrade estimates on the level of employment in this sector and now is the time for clarification of their current renewables strategy.
“In Highland Perthshire, communities that are blighted by wind turbines should at the very least benefit from green energy job opportunities, unfortunately this is not the case.
“If wind farms keep driving up energy prices whilst at the same time failing to deliver jobs, the Scottish Government should urgently rethink their energy policy.”