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Would-be first minister Humza Yousaf has said he wants to eradicate fuel poverty in Scotland by sparking a “revolutionary increase” in the country’s green energy capacity.
The current Scottish Health Secretary believes Government support and private investment could see a fivefold increase in the amount of renewable energy produced.
And he has pledged, if he is elected to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as the new SNP leader and Scottish first minister, that his top priority will be to bring together academics and business experts to come up with a “Green Innovation Masterplan”.
Mr Yousaf is running against Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and former community safety minister Ash Regan for the top job in Scottish politics.
My top priority as your next First Minister would be to build the energy security Scotland so desperately needs through a revolutionary increase in our green energy capacity
Humza Yousaf
SNP members will choose their new leader, who will also become the next Scottish first minister, by March 27.
Mr Yousaf said: “My top priority as your next First Minister would be to build the energy security Scotland so desperately needs through a revolutionary increase in our green energy capacity.
“By focusing minds in Government and the private business sector, we can create a Green Innovation Masterplan for Scotland that not only cuts bills and hands consumers access to affordable green energy, we can create hundreds of thousands of new skilled jobs and bring billions into our economy.”
He said the the cost-of-living crisis has left working families across Scotland “on their knees” because “household bills are soaring, while wholesale gas prices drop and energy companies rake in eye-watering profits”.
He criticised Westminster for its “lack of support” and added: “Scotland is an energy rich country. Our citizens should not be living in fuel poverty and struggling to heat their homes or turn the lights on.”
Mr Yousaf said he would use the Scottish National Investment Bank – set up by the Scottish Government to help businesses and projects seeking investment – as part of this drive.
He said this would help “unleash that potential” while giving green energy firms a “competitive advantage to take the handbrake off Scotland’s economic and green energy potential”.
The SNP leadership hopeful said: “The Tories are far too happy to sit on their hands with this issue.
“I’m not, and it is time for serious and aggressive action to get to grips with this crisis.”
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