Solar Energy UK has described Scotland’s latest climate change plan as “a colossal disappointment” as the government’s latest energy program does not even mention solar energy.
The plan was published this week, ahead of the Scottish elections on May 7. The document identifies five key areas of Scotland’s energy transition to be advanced between 2026 and 2040, including wind, hydrogen and carbon capture use and storage (CCUS); the plan states that expanding these areas could deliver financial benefits of £42.3 billion by 2040.
However, the fact that solar energy is not mentioned at all in the document is a “missed opportunity”, according to Josh King, chairman of Solar Energy Scotland.
“To say this is a missed opportunity would be putting it mildly, as we are on the precipice of a new fossil fuel energy crisis,” King said. “It’s a huge disappointment, but not unexpected.”
Solar energy is mentioned seven times in an accompanying appendix document, but only in relation to policies that already exist, or vague statements naming solar energy as one of several renewable energy technologies whose footprint should increase in Scotland. Regarding the former, the appendix refers to a Permitted Development Rights (PDR) review programme, which included solar energy and was completed in May 2024; the document also refers to a survey of employment in Scotland’s solar energy sector published in July 2024.
This suggests that solar energy is not considered a priority for the future of Scotland’s energy mix, which contrasts with both the general consensus that solar energy is the most cost-effective form of deploying renewable energy and previous policies introduced in Scotland. A 2023 document, ‘Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan’, describes the “significant appetite” for more solar energy in Scotland, noting that the then current operating portfolio of 411 MW could be more than doubled, with a further 767 MW of capacity under development.
“Solar energy is a long-standing, commercially viable renewable technology that is at the forefront of decarbonizing the economy,” reads the 2023 document, which includes specific plans for subsets of the solar industry, including community solar.
The lack of references to solar energy in the 2026 plan is in stark contrast to wind energy, which is mentioned eight times in the main document and 51 times in the supporting appendix.
Some of this is due to the dominance of wind energy in the wider Scottish renewable energy industry – as of the third quarter of 2025, onshore and offshore wind accounted for 10.4 GW and 4.3 GW respectively of Scotland’s 17.8 GW of operational renewable energy capacity, compared to less than 1 GW of solar – but the shift from recognizing the importance of solar energy to simply not including it in the documentation is notable.
The launch of the plan is the latest in a series of policies that have hurt Scotland’s energy sector, and solar in particular. Earlier this year, a report from Solar Energy Scotland showed that the government’s withdrawal of interest-free loans for residential solar energy systems had led to Scotland’s contribution to the overall UK rooftop solar market falling from well over a quarter to barely more than a tenth. King noticed that last year too UK network reform mechanisms would “put Scottish businesses at a disadvantage” because of the way the Scottish grid is set up.
“Let’s hope the new government comes with greater strength and commitment to solar energy and adopts our manifesto to accelerate deployment and scale up ambition,” said George Baxter, vice-chairman of Solar Energy Scotland.
