Scotland’s coastal and rural communities are set to receive a major boost as part of bold new plans to reward those playing a key role in the country’s clean energy future.
Under proposals unveiled as part of the government’s Plan for Change, towns and villages that host renewable energy infrastructure like offshore wind and solar farms will see direct investment in local priorities.
Energy developers will be required to pay into dedicated community funds, with the money used to improve facilities, create new jobs and support vital services.
This could mean brand new sports centres, upgraded transport links, grassroots football pitches or apprenticeship schemes that help train the next generation of engineers.
Every community involved will have a say in how the money is spent, ensuring that families living near new energy projects see real, lasting benefits.
The size of these payments will depend on the scale of the development, ranging from tens of thousands of pounds a year to millions for large-scale wind farms.
The move is being welcomed as a long-overdue recognition of the central role that coastal and rural areas are playing in building a greener and more secure energy system.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said communities supporting Britain’s clean energy mission deserve to benefit from the transformation taking place around them.
He said the Plan for Change would create well-paid jobs, deliver new infrastructure and bring down energy bills for working people right across the country.
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray echoed this, describing the proposals as a direct investment in local priorities, from training opportunities to better facilities and stronger transport networks.
Crucially, the plans also set out how communities could have a financial stake in local energy developments through shared ownership, with profits reinvested where they are most needed.
This idea of long-term local benefit mirrors approaches already working in countries like Ireland, France and Germany, where community ownership and benefit funds are a normal part of renewable energy projects.
Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said delivering the clean energy transition must go hand in hand with creating a lasting legacy for communities across the country.
She praised Scotland’s renewable sector for its track record in supporting local initiatives and said the new proposals would build on that success.
The announcement follows other major commitments to coastal areas, including a £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund and a new fisheries agreement with the EU to secure long-term jobs and exports for the seafood sector.
From Orkney to Ayrshire, the message is clear.
Scotland’s path to clean energy leadership is also a chance to bring opportunity, pride and prosperity to communities that have powered the nation for generations.
