Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has hailed 2011 as a 'momentous' and 'ground breaking' year for renewable energy in Scotland.

The year to October 2011 saw a record breaking £750 million of investment in renewable energy in Scotland, and there is a pipeline of proposed projects with 17 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity worth an estimated capital investment of £46 billion.

There are currently 7GW of renewable projects operational, under construction or consented.

Scotland has the ambitious, but achievable goal of generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of our electricity needs from renewables by 2020 - estimated to require around 16GW in 2020.

Department for Energy and Climate Change figures showed that renewables generation increased significantly in the first half of 2011 alone, with UK onshore wind energy generation up 111 per cent on the same period last year and hydro up by 74 per cent.

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Important steps were taken to ensure communities all over Scotland shared the benefit from renewables, with the CARES scheme providing nearly £4 million in loans to help communities all over Scotland develop their own renewable energy projects and £1.9 million in loans given to develop community district heating projects.

Earlier this month, Mr Ewing announced a new public register to help communities get the most from renewable energy projects will be established next year.

Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: "2011 has been an exceptional year for renewable energy in Scotland - truly the best year yet - and I am proud to be Energy Minister at such an exciting time.

"We have seen momentous progress towards our goal of generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of Scotland's electricity needs from renewables by 2020, as well as electricity generation from other energy technologies.

"We have switched on projects representing £750 million of investment in renewables this year alone, and there is a staggering £46 billion of investment in the pipeline.

"In March 2011 the Scottish Government consented the world's largest tidal energy array in Islay. Scottish Power's £40 million project will generate enough electricity for 5,000 homes - double the number on Islay.

"But most importantly we have taken real steps to ensure that communities all over Scotland will benefit from the renewable energy generated in their area, with a community benefit register which will help empower communities, as well as loans projects to help them develop renewable energy projects of their own."

(GK)