The production of renewable energy in Scotland came to the fore in technical, economic and political terms in the 21st century. In 2020, Scotland had 12 gigawatts of renewable electricity capacity which produced about a quarter of UK renewable generation. In decreasing order of capacity, Scotland's renewable generation comes from onshore wind (turbines pictured), water, offshore wind, solar photovoltaics and biomass. Fears regarding fuel poverty and climate change increased its prevalence on the political agenda. Renewables met a quarter of total energy consumption in 2020; the Scottish government target is having renewables meet half of total energy consumption by 2030. Although there is significant support from the public, private and community-led sectors, concerns about the effect of the technologies on the natural environment have been expressed. There is also a political debate about the relationship between the siting, and the ownership and control of these widely distributed resources. (Full article...)