Scotland generated a record amount of energy from renewables last year – with data also showing the electricity generated north of the border helped power the rest of the UK.
Renewable sources such as onshore and offshore wind, hydro power and solar generated a total of 38.4TWh of electricity in 2025 – an increase of 13.2% on the previous year and 8.4% higher than the previous peak of 35.5TWh, which was recorded in 2022.
The majority of energy was produced by wind technology, with onshore and offshore wind projects generating 30.1TWh, the data, which was published by the Scottish Government, showed.
Meanwhile, hydro power generated 5.2TWh, solar produced 0.6TWh and other forms of renewables resulted in 2.6TWh of electricity.
The report also revealed: “Scotland continues to generate more electricity than it needs. In 2024, there was 19.7TWh of net electricity exports to other UK nations.”
The report also said Scotland’s capacity to produce electricity from renewable sources had “increased substantially over the past 10 years”.
In 2024 alone, capacity increased by 14.3% to stand at 17.6GW, compared to 15.4GW in 2023.
As of the end of 2024 a total of 904 further electricity projects were being planned, with a combined capacity of 65.4GW.
These included 640 projects for energy generation, with an estimated capacity of 37.5GW, along with 264 electricity storage projects, with an estimated capacity of 27.9GW.
Environmental campaigners at Friends of the Earth Scotland said the figures gave a “glimpse of what’s possible for Scotland”.
Speaking about the “positive renewable energy statistics,” head of campaigns Caroline Rance said: “The benefits of renewables are huge, but they are not yet sufficiently reaching our communities and the workers who are responsible for their deployment, whether that is due to manufacturing taking place overseas or big business sucking up all the profits of generation.
“These figures highlight why we do not need to build a new gas-burning power station to generate electricity at Peterhead and lock ourselves into an outdated and expensive fossil fuel system.
“We should be investing in ways to store renewable energy as well as reducing overall energy demand so that the power we create goes even further.”
Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said: “Our ambition is for Scotland to become a global leader in clean, secure energy.
“These welcome figures highlight how we continue to increase in the amount of renewable electricity we generate, bringing huge economic opportunities to our country – with net electricity exports alone last year with an indicative value of £1.5 billion.”
Martin added: “Scotland has the talent, skills and resources in abundance to support a thriving renewable energy industry.
“We will continue to maximise the economic benefits that come from renewable energy and help secure a just transition for our communities, skilled workforce and supply chain.”
