It is striking that whilst the renewable developments of Sutherland accelerate, not one significant wind farm in the area is community-owned and economic business as usual sees the profits extracted by corporations and private equity firms. 


In fact, recent research by the Centre for Local Economies (CLES) has shown that capacity over the five financial years from 2019-20 to 2023-2024, 49 per cent of Scotland’s installed onshore wind developments made a total of £2.83 billion in post-tax profits, nearly 90 per cent of that profit - £2.49 billion – was paid as dividends to corporate shareholders. This is not a just transition, nor is it maximising the radical, decentralising potential of renewable energy or spreading the wealth that this economic opportunity presents. More corporate-led development is not what we need.

We cannot allow regressive politics to undermine opportunities for a fairer economic system and transformational rural development, nor damage our drive to decarbonise and protect the planet.