The UK Government has said it is committed to ensuring the Hebrides and the northern isles are connected to the National Grid.
Conservative and Liberal Democrat ministers in Westminster have insisted they are determined to “tackle the obstacles” to securing the necessary infrastructure.
The commitment was made after industry body Scottish Renewables said it wanted connections in place before 2020 so the country can benefit from wind and marine power generated in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
The group also wants action on energy policy, regulation, shared ownership, marine energy funding and the Crown Estate to ensure a more co-ordinated and strategic approach to the formation of energy policy across the UK.
A UK Government spokesman said: “We are committed to a series of actions supporting Scotland’s significant renewables potential and deployment at scale on and around Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles.
“As made clear in our response to the “Our Islands Our Future Campaign”, we share the three islands councils’ ambitions for deployment of renewable energy and we will work to tackle the obstacles to securing the necessary infrastructure.
“We are committed to tackling these obstacles by working with islands councils, Scottish Government, industry and other key partners, helping to deliver substantial progress on renewable deployment.”
Scotland’s Energy Minister Fergus Ewing is expected to discuss the issue at a island grid delivery forum meeting today.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We have made energy policy a top priority and have achieved great progress, despite being limited in terms of its devolved responsibilities.
“We look forward to proposals for more powers encompassing the necessary levers to deliver Scottish priorities, and Scottish Renewables’ contribution is welcome in that regard and must be given due consideration.”
