GLASGOW, Scotland, June 14 (UPI) -- The opening of two wind power facilities in Scotland help move the country closer to its renewable energy goals, the country's leader said.
Two wind farms, which combined will generate enough power to meet the energy demands of more than 100,000 households, have opened in Scotland.
"The opening of the Arecleoch and Mark Hill windfarms here in South Ayrshire is a significant milestone for ScottishPower Renewables," Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said in a statement.
"It also underlines both the rapid progress Scotland has made in clean energy generation and our industry's leading role in the wider development of a genuinely low carbon economy across Europe."
The government in Edinburgh aims to invest roughly $490 million to develop the next generation of offshore wind turbines. Scotland set a goal of getting 100 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2020.
The government said the current 7 gigawatts of installed or planned renewable energy projects means Scotland is exceeding its goal of getting more than 30 percent of its electricity from green resources in 2011.
