Scotland has launched its Smart Grid Sector Strategy, which includes a target to create up to 12,000 new jobs by 2020 by supporting work to secure smart grid adoption across the country.
First Minister Alex Salmond, who made the announcement at the All-Energy Conference and Exhibition in Aberdeen, Scotland, said building out the smart grid will help Scotland achieve its goal of generating all of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020.
"The development of smart grid technologies and services will be an important part of this green energy drive - and an important opportunity for Scottish businesses and research institutions," he said. "The target to create as many as 12,000 jobs in the smart grid sector is a very ambitious one, which will require continued close working between government, industry and academia."
The strategy identifies several areas for action, including spurring innovation, maximizing the impact of pilot and demonstration projects, empowering consumers by increasing awareness of how to manage energy consumption, developing the supply chain, identifying skills requirements, and improving dialogue and engagement across the energy sector.
Led by an industry working group consisting of SSE, Scottish Power, GE Energy, Cisco, the University of Strathclyde and Scottish Enterprise, the strategy was developed in consultation with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Development International and Consumer Focus Scotland.
