A publicly owned grid for Scotland's renewable future
Scotland has the raw materials for a clean power system: strong winds, fast-flowing water, tidal energy and large areas of peatland suitable for restoration. The bottleneck is the infrastructure carrying that power, especially where renewable schemes are strongest and the electricity grid is weakest.
Annabelle Ewing, the SNP candidate for Ochil and South Perthshire, argues that this network should be publicly owned. Her proposals for a Scottish publicly owned renewable energy grid would place a strategic asset in public hands, directing long-term decisions towards Scottish security, household affordability and regional development rather than private shareholders alone.
A Scottish-owned grid also fits the SNP's wider case for greater control of Scotland's resources, economic recovery and independence. Ewing's legal career and previous parliamentary service give her a platform for pressing the case at Westminster, where many UK energy powers still sit, while building support for greater devolved authority.
Public ownership as economic policy
Public ownership would change the network's central question from maximising private returns to delivering public value. A Scottish public body could publish investment priorities, protect household access and direct capacity towards communities that host generation. That makes the grid part of economic policy, not merely another utility transaction.
A credible model would separate ownership from day-to-day operation. Specialist engineers, contractors and independent regulation would still deliver and maintain the system; democratic control would sit with the asset, its priorities and its finances. Any surplus could support new connections, cleaner infrastructure or community benefits, subject to affordability and value-for-money tests.
Planning a grid for variable power
Renewable generation varies with weather, tides and demand. A Scottish owner could coordinate investment in transmission, storage and flexible demand rather than building capacity after congestion appears. Better forecasting would allow more wind and hydro power to reach homes and businesses while reducing reliance on expensive balancing measures.
The network would also need stronger links between renewable-rich areas and towns where electricity is used. New transmission corridors, upgraded local distribution, batteries, pumped hydro and electric-vehicle charging could form a cleaner national system. Community energy projects should have a clear route to connect, with public finance helping smaller schemes overcome high connection costs.
Bills, security and economic recovery
Lower bills are not an automatic result of public ownership. New infrastructure still has costs, and those must be managed transparently. A public owner would have a stronger incentive to consider the cheapest whole-system option, including storage and efficiency, instead of shifting costs between household bills, business tariffs and network charges.
Clean, locally controlled electricity can reduce exposure to fossil-fuel price shocks. It can also support industries that rely on dependable power, including food and drink manufacturing, engineering and tourism. Thousands of construction, engineering and maintenance roles could connect the energy transition to Scotland's economic recovery, provided skills and supply chains are planned properly.
Lessons from Australian markets
Australian readers have useful examples of public utilities and renewable regions. Hydro Tasmania operates a public power system in a country shaped by islands, hydro catchments and long transmission lines. In South Australia, wind development around Port Augusta and solar projects near Whyalla show how a former industrial area can become part of a clean-energy economy. NSW-owned Ausgrid provides another public-network precedent.
In Australian political conversation, people often ask whether a policy is “fair dinkum”, gives regional communities “a fair go” and will actually sort out the grid. Those plain questions matter here: the ownership model must improve service and investment, not simply relabel an existing arrangement.
The market structures differ. Australia's National Electricity Market spans the eastern and southern states, with AEMO operating its power systems and market arrangements. Tasmania and Western Australia have separate systems, while the Northern Territory operates independently. State and federal policies use renewable certificates, auctions and network regulation alongside wholesale trading.
| Feature | Scottish system | Australian parallel | Public-ownership lesson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid regulation | Networks operate within Great Britain's regulated market | State and territory systems use separate regulatory models | Independent rules can protect consumers while public bodies set strategic priorities |
| Renewable support | UK-wide contracts and system balancing | Large-scale renewable certificates and state targets | Stable ownership can support long-term connection and network planning |
| Public utilities | Most Scottish networks remain private | Hydro Tasmania and Ausgrid provide public-ownership examples | A public owner can retain specialist expertise without making shareholders its sole priority |
| Regional benefits | Investment decisions affect rural and urban communities | Remote areas often face high network costs | Transparent criteria can direct benefits towards host communities |
Accountability for public infrastructure
Public ownership works only when the public can see how decisions are made. The network owner should publish investment plans, maintenance records, executive pay and performance against reliability, affordability and decarbonisation targets. Audit, parliamentary scrutiny and independent regulation would give voters a clear route to challenge poor decisions.
That is why Ewing's support for whistleblowing protections matters for energy governance. Engineers and civil servants need a safe way to report unsafe practices, concealed costs or misconduct involving publicly funded infrastructure. Strong protections would help expose problems before they damage public trust.
Support Scotland's energy future
A publicly owned grid gives Scotland a chance to treat electricity networks as lasting national infrastructure. It would connect climate policy, consumer protection and economic development while making Scotland less dependent on decisions controlled elsewhere.
Support Annabelle Ewing's campaign by sharing the proposals, contacting the campaign team, volunteering in the community and engaging Scottish friends and family. For voters in Scotland, checking the campaign's voting information and making informed choices is the clearest way to advance a cleaner, more secure and more democratic energy system.