Politicians speak out on Scotland’s energy policy
How do Scotland’s main political parties view the energy transition? At The Business Dealmakers’ Breakfast event in Aberdeen in January, the panel of speakers was: Stephen Flynn, SNP leader in...
Transition chief pleads for reliable projects to help preserve energy skills
While there are multiple reasons to be optimistic about the North-East of Scotland as the nation’s green energy powerhouse, there is a need for some cold and stark realism.So stated...
‘I believe this is the catalytic moment when all of the expectation starts to turn into reality’
Dan McGrail, head of GB Energy, on why 2026 is the year of mega offshore wind projects Dan McGrail, a Scouser who grew up on Merseyside and witnessed industrial and...
Why we all feel aftershock from attacks on Iran
Donald Trump has a lot to answer for. The attacks launched on Iran by American and Israeli forces on February 28 have supercharged our VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous)...
THE DEAL WEEK: Food & Drink fight for investors’ love while energy firms remain in vogue
Scotland’s food and drink sector cannot understand why it is being ignored by investors. It is now valued at a record £24bn to the Scottish economy, yet deal-makers and funders...
Onshore wind: ambition is back but can the UK deliver at scale?
Onshore wind is a central pillar of the UK’s clean power strategy. The Clean Power 2030 pathway assumes 27–29GW of onshore wind by 2030, rising to 35–37GW by 2035. That...
Can private equity bolster North-East prospects?
The Scottish Fiscal Commission’s January report concluded that the country’s economic picture comprised “ongoing instability and uncertainty”. With geopolitical tensions and Scottish elections looming, that assessment still rings true as...
Spotlight on emerging potential of floating solar
Floating solar – also known as floating photovoltaic (FPV) or ‘floatovoltaics’ – involves mounting solar panels on floating platforms on reservoirs, lochs or coastal bays. These systems operate similarly to land-based...
Ensure Scotland grasps repowering opportunities for older turbines
The majority of existing onshore wind farms in the UK are anticipated to come to the end of their operational life by 2040 (representing 9GW out of c14GW of existing...
Power, place and prosperity: A Highland plan for the energy transition
Manifestos are easy to publish and difficult to deliver. I am very aware of that as we launch Highland CIC’s new manifesto. The Highlands has seen many strategies over the...