From Energy Statistics for Scotland – Q1 2026, published today, the above graph showing Scotland’s ever-increasing renewable electricity capacity and, of note, the levelling of on-shore and surging of off-shore capacity.

Scotland’s capacity for electricity generation from renewable sources has increased substantially over the past 10 years and currently stands at 18.1 GW – a 3.2% increase compared to 17.6 GW at the end of the first quarter of 2025 (Figure 2).

In terms of actual generation, this too is increasing fast:

In 2026, 13.4 TWh of renewable electricity was generated in the first quarter in Scotland. This is a 22% increase from the 10.9 TWh generated in the first quarter in 2025 (Figure 1).

Scotland’s total electricity consumption in 2024, most recent confirmed figure, was 21.7 TWh.

What happened to the surplus of 16.5 TWH?

Transferred across the border to England.

What happened to the tax revenue?

Most of the profits pocketed by a large corporation in Spain, with a modest amount, well below what could have been extracted, grabbed by the Treasury in London.

Sources:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/energy-statistics-for-scotland-q1-2026/pages/renewable-electricity-capacity/ https://www.gov.scot/publications/energy-statistics-for-scotland-q3-2025/pages/electricity-consumption/

What can you do with 1 TWh of electricity

1 TWh (terawatt-hour) equals 1 billion kWh (kilowatt-hours) of electricity — a huge amount of energy, equivalent to the output of a large power plant running at full capacity for extended periods or the annual needs of a substantial population. https://www.carboncollective.co/sustainable-investing/terawatt-hour-twh

UK/Scotland households: The average household uses roughly 2,700 kWh per year for electricity. https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/how-much-electricity-does-a-home-use

So, around 370,000 average UK homes for an entire year.

The surplus 16.5 TWh?

There aren’t enough households in Scotland.