70th Anniversary of Scottish Hydro Electric Power Act

The 8th May marks the 70th anniversary of the Hydro Electric Development (Scotland) Act of 1943, which provided the impetus for major hydro electric schemes across Scotland.   The anniversary is being marked by a renewable energy conference in Perth and an exhibition exploring the history of such schemes. 

Scotland has a long and distinguished history in the development of hydro electric power (HEP). It has 145 HEP schemes of varying sizes, with each being the product of two factors, one natural and the other human. On one hand, Scotland has a favourable natural combination of topography and weather patterns, which has produced ideal locations for HEP developments in certain areas. On the other hand, development has been driven by the innovation, skill and determination of a small army of architects, engineers and construction workers over the years. The legacy that these pioneering developments created still plays a key role in Scotland’s production of renewable energy. In 2012 HEP produced 12% of Scotland's electricity, and nearly 40% of its total power output is from renewable sources.

Scran hosts a wealth of material about HEP, and you can see it here.  In addition, this year we'll be unveiling some new colour photographs of all the extant Scottish hydro electric schemes, so stay tuned!