Home / Business and Economy / £33 Billion Grid Upgrade Planned for Northern Scotland
£33 Billion Grid Upgrade Planned for Northern Scotland
13 Nov
Summary
- SSE plans £33 billion investment over 5 years
- Upgrading wiring and increasing grid capacity in northern Scotland
- Facing criticism from Highlands and Aberdeenshire communities
On November 13, 2025, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has revealed a £33 billion investment plan to overhaul the electricity grid in northern Scotland over the next 5 years. The company, which controls the power network in the region, intends to spend two-thirds of this budget on upgrading wiring and increasing high-voltage grid capacity. This will enable more renewable energy generated in the north to be transmitted to customers in the south.
However, SSE's ambitious plans have faced significant pushback from local communities in the Highlands and rural Aberdeenshire. The proposed projects include erecting tall pylons and building large substations, which have raised concerns about the impact on the local environment and landscape.
To address these issues, SSE's new chief executive, Martin Pibworth, stated that the company has conducted the "widest, broadest consultation ever held in the north of Scotland" and is working to address community concerns where possible. He emphasized the critical need to modernize the grid infrastructure to support the transition to renewable energy and ensure a reliable, secure, and clean power supply for the region.
The remaining one-third of SSE's investment plan will focus on upgrading lower-voltage wiring in the company's distribution franchise areas in northern Scotland and central southern England. This includes improving the capacity of homes to run air heat converters and electric vehicle charging.
