Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 9
1st Report - Clean Power by 2030: A fair deal for Scotland?
Published 21 May 2026
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee GB Energy and the net zero transition All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Successive administrations have chronically underinvested in the electricity grid. As a result, grid capacity has not kept pace with the expansion of renewables across the UK system. This causes the perverse outcome 51 of Scottish windfarms being switched off—sometimes more frequently than they are generating—while a fossil fuel power station is fired up elsewhere in the UK. UK energy consumers are currently seeing the costs of curtailments, the expansion of renewables, and grid upgrades added to their energy bills. This does not help to inspire public confidence in the fairness of the energy transition. While we note the UK Government’s demand-side measures, it must do more to reduce current levels of curtailment. (Conclusion, Paragraph 58)
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, 1st Report - Clean Power by 2030: A fair deal for Scotland? (HC 164), 21 May 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 9 September 2026.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government "partially agrees" with the committee's conclusions and recommendations on Great British Energy, the grid and community benefits, and "agrees" with those on community ownership.
- On Great British Energy, the government agrees the Clean Power 2030 target is "extremely ambitious" but believes it is "achievable". It says GBE, like all companies, must publish an annual report and accounts, laid before Parliament, and that its role is "not to duplicate" Scottish Government programmes.
- On standing charges, the government says it "will carefully consider" the committee's recommendation alongside the outcome of Ofgem's Cost Allocation and Recovery Review. Regional distribution of standing charges is "one of the options under consideration".
- On community benefits, a mandatory scheme "could come into force by the end of 2027 at the earliest", would need new primary legislation, and would not be applied retrospectively. A proposed level of benefit would be set out only "if a mandatory scheme was to come forward".
- On shared ownership, the government says it is "assessing how these powers could be used" and "plan[s] to consult on detailed proposals in 2026". It states that planning requirements such as worker accommodation in Scotland are for the Scottish Government to consider.