ScottishPower—one of the UK's so called "Big Six" energy utilities—has long been at the forefront of wind energy development. But while it was once considered just one part of a wider, more conventional energy portfolio, renewable energy has become so competitive, so fast, that ScottishPower recently made the important move of ditching fossil fuels entirely.
Of course, in some ways, nothing actually changed—ScottishPower sold its last remaining gas plants to Drax which will continue to operate them and churn out the emissions associated with them too. But as the press release emphasizes, the move makes them the "first integrated energy company in the UK to shift completely from coal and gas generation to wind power."
And it's unlikely their efforts will stop there. Indeed BusinessGreen reports that just a month later, the energy giant is now pushing hard on electric vehicle charging too:
Through a deal with UK private car dealership Arnold Clark prospective EV buyers will be able to purchase or lease an EV of their choice, book a home charging point installation, and sign up to a 100 per cent renewable electricity tariff as part of the same package.
The UK has already made significant progress in slashing energy-related carbon emissions to Victorian-era levels, which puts it in good stead to reap the full environmental benefits of electrifying transportation. It makes complete sense if pioneers in the energy space now use their track record to push electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging, all the while selling people on green energy in the process.
ScottishPower may be on to something.
