LONDON, May 15 (UPI) -- A report from the British and Scottish governments says that developing island renewable resources includes economic risk.
A report says renewable energy development on the Scottish Islands would go a long way to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the United Kingdom by 80 percent by 2050.
The report says developing those resources, however, could be expensive because of the costs needed to link island renewables to the mainland.
British Secretary for Energy and Climate Change Ed Davey said his government is eager to develop renewables so long as it makes economic sense.
"Scotland's islands are rich in renewable energy resources and this independent report makes absolutely clear that they can make a cost-effective contribution to 2020 renewables and decarbonization targets if issues around grid access and high transmission charging can be addressed," Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said in a statement.
Scotland has one of the most ambitious renewable energy targets in the world, aiming to get 100 percent of its electricity needs through renewables by 2020. A referendum on independence from the United Kingdom goes before Scottish voters next year.
Ewing said both sides were reviewing their options for island renewables with updates expected later this summer.
