Committee publication · Correspondence · 28 January 2026 · HC 459
Correspondence from SSEN Transmission regarding follow-up from 7 January session, dated 20 January 2026
Summary
SSEN Transmission's follow-up letter to the Scottish Affairs Committee details its community benefit commitments, economic impact, and support for community energy. The company reports delivering over £100 million in community benefit through regional and local funds, a £22 billion five-year investment programme expected to support 17,500 jobs in Scotland, and a housing strategy targeting 1,000 new homes. It also welcomes Ofgem's approval of code modifications to remove securities barriers for community energy projects and outlines further regulatory reforms needed to meet the UK's 8GW community energy target by 2030.
Key findings
- SSEN Transmission has delivered over £100 million in community benefit through Regional and Local Funds, building on SSE Group's £112 million invested across over 13,000 community projects; independent analysis shows 96% of funded projects remain operational with £10.95 social return per £1 invested.
- Housing Strategy commits to delivering 1,000 new homes across north Scotland, including 47 homes in Brechin and up to 94 in Stornoway, with completion expected by end of 2027.
- £22 billion investment programme over five years expected to support up to 17,500 jobs in Scotland, with directly employed workforce growing from 400 (2019) to over 2,500 today; 53% of recent new hires came from high-carbon backgrounds.
- Ofgem approved a code modification in October 2025 removing securities obligations for community energy projects where regulatory funding for transmission infrastructure is already secured—described as removal of a key barrier.
- SSEN Transmission raised Transmission Impact Assessment (TIA) threshold on mainland fourfold from 50kW to 200kW, enabling approximately 35 customers with combined generating potential over 5MW to connect significantly earlier; threshold remains 50kW on islands for network integrity.
Tone
SupportiveTopics
Key actors
SSEN Transmission, SSE plc, Ofgem, National Energy System Operator (NESO), UK Government, Scottish Government, Murphy (delivery partner), Had-Fab
Notable line
“… over half (53 per cent) of new hires across SSEN Transmission came from high-carbon backgrounds – one in every two new colleagues – d emonstrating the energy transition's potential to reskill and retain talent in Scotland.”
Key Quotes
“As a Scottish company headquartered in the north of Scotland, we are committed to a just energy transition that improves the lives of people across the region.”
“We are delivering over £100 million in community benefit through our Regional and Local funds, which are designed to leave a lasting legacy.”
“Following our evidence session, Ofgem confirmed their approval of this code modification. We welcome this decision from Ofgem, which should remove one of the key barriers community energy projects face.”
“Our £22 billion investment over the next five years is expected to support up to 17,500 jobs in Scotland, with 8,400 of these in the north of Scotland.”
“… we recently reviewed our TIA threshold for the mainland, raising it four-fold from 50kW to 200kW – meaning around 35 customers with a combined generating potential of over 5MW will now be able to connect significantly earlier than previously anticipated.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗