Rapid growth has been predicted for Scotland’s energy industry, with the prospects for umbrella company freelancers and limited company contractors very good as a result, according to Scotland’s first minister.
Alex Salmond remarked that the green energy sector north of the border is poised to exhibit massive growth over the coming years, with the first minister adding that Scotland could become the Silicon Valley for the energy sector ad a recent meeting at the Commonwealth Club of California. Scotland currently creates approximately 10 per cent of the entirety of Europe’s wave power, while the country is also responsible for generating 25 per cent of its offshore wind power as well, Mr Salmond explained.
The possibility of becoming ‘the Silicon Valley of marine energy’ is quite high, provided the country continues to work in developing high concentrations of investment, commitment, and expertise in the marine energy sector. Much like the Northern California valley that became world-renowned for attracting businesses with deep pockets to complement the highly skilled visionaries, Scotland could follow in those footsteps, Mr Salmond commented, implying that the waves of an economic boom borne from an explosion in marine energy generation could lead to employment opportunities for permanent and interim workers alike.
With fears of climate change coinciding with those of peak oil – and with dependence upon fossil fuels for energy crippling the UK economy – just ask anyone who has to fill up their petrol tank at the local garage – cleaner, alternative energy sources are gaining serious ground in the UK and abroad. As technology continues to advance, the construction of offshore wind farms or wave energy generators is rapidly becoming more cost effective.
