Scotland’s energy industry is at a crucial juncture and a decision due to be made soon could have wide-ranging repercussions for the sector and the thousands of jobs it supports. Miatta Fahnbulleh, the new UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, is due to be presented shortly with a plan for the future of infrastructure by NESO, the independent planner and operator of Britain’s energy system. From a group of options, she will select a single pathway which will set out what is needed, where and when.

This Strategic Spatial Energy (SSEP) was commissioned by the UK and Scottish governments with the other devolved administrations and is designed to shape investment, planning and grid decisions in a way which attracts investment, reduces costs, tackles climate change and gives businesses the confidence to invest and create jobs.

The selection of the single SSEP pathway, therefore, represents a pivotal moment for Scotland’s energy industry. Will it be able to make best use of our resources to the realise the new prime minister’s focus on ‘reindustrialisation’ of the economy and the first minister’s strategy for Scotland’s green industrial future? Or will we miss out on key opportunities?

The emerging signals are giving cause for significant concerns. Through Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind offshore wind leasing round, 16 projects are currently being developed in our waters with a total projected spend of £25.5bn (an average of £1.6bn per project) in the supply chain. Together, these projects will build the confidence and scale which attracts investments in manufacturing, operations and maintenance, and provides thousands of new skilled jobs.

Yet it is understood that only two of the six pathways which will be presented to the Secretary of State include all of these Scottish........

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