There has been a significant rise in Scotland's renewable energy output, jumping by 45 per cent in the first quarter of this year when compared with the same period last year.
UK government figures show Scotland generated 4,590 gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable energy in the first three months of 2012, up 1,435 GWh on the first quarter of 2011.
Scotland has set an ambitious target of generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of its electricity needs from renewables by 2020.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change also issued revised statistics for 2011 which showed that renewable electricity generation in Scotland was 13,735 GWh in 2011, an increase of 44.3 per cent from 2010 and a rise of 97.3 per cent from 2006.
The Scottish government said that, based on current projections, about 35 per cent of Scotland's electricity came from renewable in 2011, beating a previous target of 31 per cent.
Fergus Ewing, the Scottish energy minister, said the data was a sign the country was making good progress towards its 2020 target.
"The increase of 45.5 per cent in renewable output in quarter one 2012 compared to quarter one 2011 is particularly encouraging when you consider that 2011 saw the highest output from renewable energy to date," he said.
"Scotland has astounding renewable energy potential, and the Scottish government is committed to ensuring every community in Scotland benefits from the opportunities of renewable energy."
He said green projects representing £750 million of investment were switched on in 2011, with an investment pipeline of £46 billion.
Figures show 11,000 people are employed in renewables in Scotland already, a figure which is set to grow, he added.
"Scotland is a genuine world leader in green energy and our targets reflect the scale of our natural resources, the strength of our energy capabilities and the value we place on creating new, sustainable industries," Mr Ewing said.
Posted by Jack Painter