Enquiries to APRS about energy generation, storage and transmission infrastructure have increased markedly in the past year. Alongside this, the UK Government is moving forward fast on changes to energy policy which is difficult to keep up with. In order to respond to these challenges, with the very limited resource we have, we have started a research project which is being led by two volunteers.
The APRS Energy Project
The climate and nature crises are the most pressing issues that humanity has to face. The transition to an economy that ensures we, and the non-human world, have a livable planet to share for the future needs far-reaching change. It is important, in the face of the scale of change needed, to get our planning policy right and ensure planning conditions (including those affecting the environment, biodiversity and landscape) are followed. It is a key part of keeping public support for the energy transition.
Our two volunteers, Katie Woodward and Cameron Luck, have started by looking into planning applications for battery storage which, to our concern, are getting approval on Green Belt sites, despite the capacity of applications now being larger than Scottish Government’s energy storage targets. We wish to review the situation and to make evidence-based recommendations for planning policy regarding battery storage, particularly on Green Belts. We are also looking at general UK energy policy changes that are being proposed, and exploring how we at APRS can make the most difference.
Our renewable energy resources, and our landscapes, are two of Scotland’s most important assets. Renewable energy development is imperative and can potentially benefit not only the overall economy but also the local communities which host it. But we must avoid the pitfalls of the past where our profligate energy use has had serious environmental impacts. Renewable energy must go hand in hand with protecting biodiversity, landscapes and communities.
The project is due to conclude in November with a report but we will keep you updated with our activities in this project.
We are seeking funding to pay for an ongoing project specifically on energy, if you can help please contact kat@aprs.scot or donate here.
News on UK Plans for Transmission Infrastructure in Scotland
On 1 July, Ofgem provisionally approved an initial £8.9bn investment for GB’s high-voltage electricity network, with an additional £1.3bn available as an option. We are concerned due attention is paid to Scotland’s landscapes, biodiversity and communities in the decision making for this project.
The investment is part of an estimated £80bn programme to increase electricity network capacity in the country, allowing for 80 transmission projects to be completed within the next 5 years. It is expected to be the biggest expansion of GB’s electricity network since the 1960s. Over half (£4.7bn) of the proposed investment into high-voltage electricity network is allocated to Scotland, with an overall ambition to deliver 3,500km of new circuits. NESO (the National Energy System Operator) estimates that these 80 projects will cut constraint costs threefold and reduce reliance on unabated gas power to just 5% by 2030.
Key points
- Upgrade over 4,400km of overhead lines
- Deliver 3,500km of new circuits, including those offshore
- Enable 126GW of generation to connect to the grid by 2030, with additional flexible storage and technologies (assuming some of this will be battery storage?)
- Estimated bill increase (for network charges) of £104 by 2031 (£74 for electricity grid, with the remainder to improve gas networks) – of which £52 will be used to expand grid
- £52 investment is expected to result in £80 of savings for consumers by 2031 (compared to not investment, by reducing constraint costs and better utilising renewables)
- Net cost on bills is expected to be £24 per year by March 2031
- Of the £8.9bn, £4.2bn for National Grid, £3.1bn for SSEN, £1.6bn for Scottish Power (more than half the investment going to Scotland)
Our Response to the Proposals
We have responded to an Ofgem consultation on Energy Transmission, related to this announcement. We are concerned about the impact this will have on Scotland’s communities, landscapes, and biodiversity and a summary of our response is below.
“Energy infrastructure planning, including this proposed grid expansion, should be strategic and landscape-sensitive, ensuring that developments are proportionate, suitably located to minimise impact, and deliver lasting benefits to communities and the environment. Wherever possible, in areas of high landscape value, transmission infrastructure should be located underground, and we would like to see sufficient funding ring-fenced for undergrounding in national parks, national scenic areas (NSAs) and local landscape areas, to protect the value of these areas.
“We would also like to see renewed commitments from SSEN and Scottish Power to appropriately and fully engage with communities in affected areas to ensure their needs, and the needs of the local environment, are protected. We ask for Community Benefit Funds for all areas of transmission infrastructure at an adequate level to ensure that communities in Scotland hosting any new transmission infrastructure will benefit from the transition to renewable energy.”
From APRS consultation response
Read our full response
Ofgem consultation on Energy Transmission
This is our response to the Ofgem consultation on energy transmission infrastructure, 16 July 2025
Thank you to Katie Woodward, one of our Energy Project Volunteers for the work summarising the Ofgem proposals and responding to the consultation.
Costs of Energy
In the wake of the UK Government’s decision not to go ahead with Zonal Pricing, which was partially designed to deal with the issue of Renewables operators (mainly wind power in Scotland) being paid to switch off generation. Octopus energy launched a counter of the costs of current energy policy, This website shows what the Government is paying wind power generators not to generate.
You can see this information live for each generating site in this fascinating website
Map of planned energy projects in Highland Council region
After requests by a group of Community Councils in the Highlands, Highland Council have produced a map of all the energy projects that are planned or proposed in the Highland Council region. You can access the map here.
