Scotland
UK
Ireland
London
A hydro industry expert has warned that government cuts could make further development in the sector "unlikely".
Joss Blamire, Senior Policy Manager at Scottish Renewables, suggested that Scotland has until the end of the year until future schemes cease to be financially viable.
The warning comes a month ahead of the Hydro Conference & Mini Expo held by Scottish Renewables in Perth on 2 June.
Almost 65MW of small-scale hydro has been installed in the UK since 2010, enough to power more than 44,000 homes.
However Mr Blamire has warned that a forthcoming drop in the level of support under the Feed-in Tariff is "horrendously steep" and could stifle new projects.
He added: "We’re currently in the boom period of an entirely predictable boom-and-bust scenario, and unless something is done soon that bust could end Scotland's hydro ambitions before they've had a chance to deliver their full clean energy, jobs and investment potential."
(LM/CD)
