Scottish Power will create 1400 new jobs and plough nearly £11billion into the power grid in its next phase of the push to clean energy. The Scots energy giant, along with Perth-based SSE, are among the firms pledging £70billion over the next five years to “rewire” the UK energy system for the renewables revolution.
Scottish Power plans to double its transmission workforce with around 1,400 new directly-employed jobs and supporting another 11,000 more jobs across the UK. Its new business plan covering 2026-2031 will see £10.6billion invested across central and southern Scotland to ramp up capacity.
Planned projects include 12 new major transmission substations, 280 miles of upgraded existing circuits, 60 miles of upgraded overhead lines and 22 miles of underground cables. Independent research by the University of Strathclyde has found the business plan could boost the UK economy by £2billion a year.
Meanwhile, SSE will spend a total £22billion. That includes “strategic investment” of £16billion to speed up the process of connecting offshore wind farms to the power grid.
It aims for the north of Scotland’s transmission network to have the capability to meet 20 per cent of British demand for clean power by 2030. The two firms, along with National Grid – who between them own the UK’s electricity infrastructure – are investing a combined £70billion over five years in the race to decarbonise the energy system by 2030.
Much of the proposals still need to be approved by regulator Ofgem, who must balance the spending plans against the need to protect customers from rising energy costs. Nicola Connelly, CEO of SP Energy Networks, Scottish Power’s transmission arm, said: “We have a chance to shape a cleaner, greener future for us all.
“Making this crucial investment now will drive a positive impact that will help to stabilise and lower consumer energy bills in the longer term. If the UK wants to deliver on its ambition to be a clean energy superpower and capitalise on its natural resources, then it needs the electricity grid to match demand.
“Our Business Plan has been developed to deliver that at pace, combining unprecedented levels of investment with a focus on ensuring fair returns for consumers and investors.” She added: “Government and industry have never been clearer on what needs to be achieved and now we need Ofgem to match that ambition with a price control that unlocks the capital required to finance the projects that will deliver clean power in the next decade.”
Rob McDonald, of SSEN Transmission, a subsidiary of SSE, said its “ambitious, deliverable blueprint” would “support tens thousands of jobs across the country, turbo-charging the economy and delivering a transformational and lasting legacy for communities, the economy and nature”.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here.