GB Energy and the net zero transition

Status / emerging findings

• Clean Power by 2030 is 'extremely ambitious' and risks failure; public confidence will collapse if targets are missed, especially in Scottish communities hosting new infrastructure but seeing minimal local benefit
• Grid infrastructure is the critical barrier: 88 major transmission projects needed, but planning delays and transmission charging volatility (TNUoS) threaten renewable developers' viability; this is the largest grid upgrade since the 1960s
• Scotland produces 18 GW of electricity but consumes only 2.5 GW, with 60 GW in planning—yet rural communities report bearing infrastructure costs while reaping no economic benefit; clean energy jobs are scaling slower than North Sea oil and gas job losses
• Energy debt in Scotland reached £6.7 million across Citizens Advice network in 2025 alone; standing charges (15-20% of bills) constitute a 'hidden evil' as consumers self-disconnect yet continue accruing daily debt
• Great British Energy announced first investment (100 MW Pentland floating offshore wind, 600 construction jobs) but has only 9 permanent staff; Aberdeen job promises of 1,000 by 2030 appear unlikely to materialise at scale

Why it matters

Scotland is central to UK net zero and energy security, but the transition risks creating a two-tier system where communities host massive new infrastructure while experiencing energy poverty and job losses, undermining both climate credibility and social licence.

Tone arc

Opened procedural and exploratory (July 2025: government defending North Sea policy). Became increasingly critical and adversarial (February–March 2026: fuel poverty witnesses and grid infrastructure evidence revealed distributional failures). Final session (April 2026) remained cooperative but confrontational on bill reductions and transition pace.

Key witnesses

Dan McGrail, Great British Energy CEO, Michael Shanks, Energy Minister, Jonathan Mills, DESNZ, Stephanie Mander, Citizens Advice Scotland, Lawrence Johnston, Scarf (fuel poverty), Louise Kingham, BP, Hebe Trotter, Harbour Energy, National Energy System Operator (NESO) / Ofgem representatives