The Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit (ECU), a quango with final authority over renewable energy projects, has held over 100 meetings with developers in the past year while failing to meet a single resident affected by pylon or battery storage applications. This stark imbalance has ignited fierce criticism, with campaigners branding the situation 'obscene' and accusing the SNP of sidelining communities.
Revelation Sparks Outrage Among Rural Campaigners
In a freedom of information response, the Scottish Government disclosed that the ECU conducted 105 meetings with companies, including SSEN and Scottish Power, between January 1, 2025, and January 28, 2026. Officials defended these engagements as 'necessary' for administering energy consent applications. However, they simultaneously admitted that ECU officials 'do not routinely meet campaigners to discuss applications,' leaving residents feeling ignored and marginalized.
Communities Feel 'Stitched Up' by Energy Transition
This revelation comes amid a surge of renewable energy proposals that have provoked widespread anger in rural areas. Notable among these is a plan for a new network of 550 electricity pylons across the Highlands and North East, which has attracted more than 10,000 objections. Campaigners argue that the lack of resident engagement exemplifies an unjust energy transition that prioritizes corporate interests over local well-being.
Aberdeenshire councillor Tracey Smith, co-founder of the Save Our Mearns campaign, expressed deep frustration. 'This revelation is obscene and shows that the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit is nothing more than a body set up to curtail public opinion,' she stated. 'Residents like myself who face living in the shadow of towering pylons have been treated like second-class citizens by the SNP. We have been stitched up to the core.'
Scottish Conservatives Pledge Community Veto
In response to the controversy, the Scottish Conservatives have committed to granting communities a final say on renewable energy project applications. This pledge aims to address the perceived democratic deficit highlighted by the ECU's meeting records. Councillor Smith emphasized the need for such measures, saying, 'Local communities must be front and centre of any proposals and should have a veto when it comes to new energy infrastructure being built.'
Super-Pylons Scheme Triggers Public Inquiry
The tension is further illustrated by SSEN's controversial 'super-pylons' scheme in Angus and Aberdeenshire, which involves electricity towers averaging nearly 190 feet in height. Last month, it emerged that there had been 'well over 200' requests from objectors to participate in a public inquiry into the project, triggered by Angus councillors opposing the infrastructure in November. One elected member condemned the scheme as 'an act of vandalism on a colossal scale.'
The Scottish Government's stance, as outlined in the FOI response, maintains that meetings with applicants are essential for processing consents, while interactions with campaigners are not routine. This approach has fueled accusations that the energy transition is causing misery, financial hardship, and environmental degradation without adequate community input.
