This is an analysis of the main points of NESO’s transitional Regional Energy Strategic Plan (RESP) which was published on 30th January 2026 written by Katie Woodward, co-author of our Battery Storage Report. The RESP is designed as a bottom up plan, taking information about demand from users to build a picture of future demand.
The publication of the transitional Regional Energy Strategic Plan (tRESP) by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) marks an important step in shaping how Scotland’s electricity networks will be reinforced over the coming decade.
The tRESP is designed to inform investment decisions by electricity distribution network operators (DNOs) during the next price control period, known as Electricity Distribution 3 (ED3), covering 2028-2033. It identifies where proactive upgrades to local electricity networks may be needed across Great Britain to accommodate new demand and generation, before firm connection applications are in place.
Full Regional Energy Strategic Plans are due from late 2026 and will include just one plan to cover the whole of Scotland. In contrast, England will be covered by nine plans, raising questions about how far Scotland’s distinct geography, planning system and energy mix can be fully reflected in NESO’s proposals.
Changing energy needs
NESO’s analysis reflects rapidly changing energy needs, driven largely by housing growth, industrial decarbonisation, new data centres, port infrastructure, electrified transport and heating. Across Great Britain, its pathways suggest that electricity networks will need to cater for 28 million electric vehicles, 8 million heat pumps and 95GW of additional generation and storage over the next decade.
Scotland already plays a critical role in the wider GB energy system. With around 20GW of generation capacity today – projected to more than double by 2030 – the pressure on electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure is evident. Existing network constraints already result in considerable curtailment of wind generation, which cost over £1.4 billion in 2025.
The tRESP identifies 231 Grid Supply Point (GSP) areas across Great Britain, of which 179 are considered ‘strategic’. In Scotland, 32 GSP areas have been identified as strategic, representing 16.2GW of proposed additional capacity. The five areas with the largest proposed increases in demand are:
- Galloway Group (SPEN) – 2.3GW
- Wishaw Group (SPEN) – 2.2GW
- Windyhill Group (SPEN) – 2.1GW
- Mossmorran Group (SPEN) – 2.0GW
- Beauly Group (SSEN) – 1.6GW
Of the Scottish areas identified, NESO recommends that 10 should be considered for proactive investment by DNOs under ED3. These include Galloway, Hunterston, Wishaw, Beauly and parts of the Highlands and Islands.
Scotland’s two electricity distribution network operators (DNOs) – Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) in the north, and Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) in central and southern Scotland – are expected to use the transitional plan to inform their business plans for the 2028–2033 period.
Notably, NESO identified an additional 18.5GW of ‘strategic energy need’ across Great Britain through a request for information, covering projects not previously captured in national datasets. This figure is likely to grow as more projects come forward.
Data Centres
The tRESP lays out two Grid Supply Points where data centres are driving additional demand – the Inverarnon Group which it says will demand an extra 600MW, and the Wishaw group, which it says will require an extra Gigawatt (1000MW).
Spatial planning considerations
In Scotland, energy consenting and spatial planning are fully devolved. Scottish Ministers determine applications for onshore generating stations above 50MW (including battery energy storage systems), while the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets the spatial strategy and national planning policy context.
Any acceleration of network investment must therefore align with Scotland’s statutory climate targets, planning policies and the interests of rural and island communities.
Scotland’s geography, with dispersed populations, remote networks and a concentration of renewable resources far from demand centres, creates unique challenges. Major subsea links connecting Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles to the mainland, alongside reinforcement to accommodate up to 50GW of offshore wind and 12GW of onshore wind, will reshape landscapes and seascapes across the country.
At the distribution level, solar, onshore wind and battery storage are expected to dominate new capacity. Scotland is projected to host a disproportionately large share of GB battery storage by 2050, reflecting both its renewable resource and grid position. Industrial and commercial battery storage in Scotland to 2050 is expected to account for 22% of the GB total, despite accounting for just 8% of the population.
Graph caption: Proportion of tRESP generation technology groups per RESP nation and region (2050). Source: NESO
Strategic planning of generation, storage and demand is essential if Scotland is to decarbonise while supporting new industry and protecting communities. But proactive network investment must not result in indiscriminate support for over-sized infrastructure or development that bypasses proper environmental assessment.
The transitional plan relies heavily on nationally available datasets and acknowledges that more locally sourced data may be incorporated in the full RESP process. It is vital that Scotland’s rural realities, including landscape, biodiversity, community impact and existing grid constraints, are fully reflected in these plans.
Useful Links
Map of existing high Voltage Lines
Generation and Storage, Operational and Planned
