However, only 56 per cent of electricity used in Scotland was from renewables in 2020, with the rest generated by nuclear and gas plants. Only 6.4 per cent of heat demand came from renewables last year, missing Ms Sturgeon’s 11 per cent target by nearly half.

The First Minister disclosed last November that she was opposed to the development of new oil and gas fields in the North Sea, with her Green coalition colleagues taking credit for her change of heart.

Barely a fortnight later Shell pulled out of the Cambo project near Shetland, which was expected to create 1,000 jobs and pump 170 million barrels of oil, with political opposition understood to be among the reasons.

But the Ukraine crisis has triggered calls for a major rethink of energy policy and it emerged last weekend that several senior SNP figures were concerned about Ms Sturgeon’s stance. They were said to include Ian Blackford, the party’s Westminster leader.

Gas remains crucial to British homes and businesses for heating, electricity generation, and industrial and commercial use. In 2020 around 48 per cent of UK gas came from the North Sea but this is expected to dwindle by around six per cent per year without further development.

Although only around three per cent of the UK’s gas comes from Russia, compared to around 35 per cent on the Continent, experts warn this would still lead to around £6 million per day being handed to the Putin regime.

Mr Kerr said: “Energy prices are at a record high, and hard-pressed Scots are bearing the brunt of a cost-of-living crisis, yet the SNP’s reckless opposition to oil and gas exploration would leave us over-reliant on costly imports to meet our energy demand.

“Even the SNP’s leader in Westminster recognises that in light of the situation with Russia we must make the most of North Sea oil and gas production. While domestic supply can’t meet demand, we are at the mercy of appalling events overseas.”