Announcing plans for its own energy review, the SNP has warned that the government is ignoring Scotland's "distinctive challenges and opportunities".

Having previously pledged to hold its own review in parallel with that being conducted by Westminster ministers, the nationalist party said top academic Professor Stephen Salter would lead the investigation.

An expert in renewable energy, he will be joined by solar power expert Dr Kerr Macgregor and oil and gas expert Nigel Ross.

The terms of reference for the review exclude nuclear power as an option for investigation.

SNP energy spokesman Richard Lochhead said he was "delighted" that Professor Salter would chair the review.

"Scotland is an energy-rich nation with massive potential to meet our future energy needs," he added.

"Yet, Tony Blair's energy review is set to ignore Scotland's distinctive energy challenges and opportunities.

"Blair wants nuclear when Scotland has an abundance of cleaner, safer and cheaper resources and he talks of the UK relying on gas imports when Scotland produces eight times the amount of gas we consume.

"Shamefully, Scotland suffers chronic levels of fuel poverty despite our energy riches."

The review has been asked to report back to the party before the summer.

Professor Salter said that Scotland "needs its own distinctive energy debate".

"As an academic involved in developing renewables for several decades, I am well aware of Scotland's potential to meet our energy needs through clean technologies," he said.