Scottish Renewables has said that the government's decision to include solar and onshore wind power in the next round of CfD contracts is one that will build confidence in the industry and amongst investors.

Other trade bodies, such as Renewable UK and the Solar Trade Association, have welcomed the news, saying that the plans to bring onshore wind back into the bidding mix will help both consumers and businesses to pay the lowest available costs for energy.

The CEO of RUK, Hugh McNeal said that by supporting cheap renewables a clear example was being shown of how climate change could be tackled in order to satisfy public demand. He added that by making the auctions accessible to renewable power providers, the UK could also move more quickly towards becoming a net-zero carbon economy.

He also explained that onshore wind was already one of the cheapest forms of power in the UK and that new projects would provide a significant boost to skilled jobs and to economic investment.

Scottish Renewables added that the onshore wind industry would be given the confidence that it needed to forge ahead with new projects across the UK - and added that it would also help to firm up Scotland's global lead on onshore wind.

The Solar Trade Association supports the news of widened access to the CfD auctions too, saying that they will ensure the public gets to benefit from the cheapest and cleanest forms of power generation available on the market, cutting consumer costs by up to £300 million every year.

In Scotland, onshore wind alone employs nearly 6,000 skilled jobs, which are primed to be some of tomorrow's most in-demand green roles. With its excellent wind resources, the country also produces most of the UK's onshore wind power.