GB Energy has done 'literally, absolutely nothing', says John Swinney
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has launched a sharp attack on the UK Government's energy policy, claiming that GB Energy has delivered "literally, absolutely nothing" and accusing Westminster of obstructing Scotland's renewable energy sector.
Speaking ahead of the SNP's 91st Annual National Conference at The Event Complex Aberdeen from 11-13 October 2025, Swinney directed particular criticism at the publicly funded energy investment firm, which received Royal Assent on 15 May 2025 and currently operates from the AB1 building in Aberdeen whilst awaiting its move to permanent headquarters at Marischal Square later in 2026.
North Sea oil fields await decision
The criticism comes as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband indicated that a decision on two controversial North Sea oil fields, Rosebank and Jackdaw, is imminent. Both projects require fresh approval after Scotland's Court of Session ruled on 30 January 2025 that their original consents were unlawful because they failed to assess Scope 3 emissions from burning the extracted fuels.
Rosebank, located 80 miles west of Shetland, is the UK's largest untapped oil field with an estimated 300 million barrels of oil. The field was initially approved by the Conservative Government in September 2023.
Grid connection challenges blamed on Westminster
Swinney told BBC Radio Scotland that whilst he had hoped falling North Sea oil production would be offset by increased renewable activity, "it wasn't happening fast enough". He insisted the Scottish Government had "delivered our side of the bargain" on renewable consenting but was "waiting for the UK Government" to remove obstacles.
The First Minister focused his criticism on grid connection challenges, arguing these issues fall entirely within Westminster's remit. Grid connection decisions and electricity transmission infrastructure are reserved matters controlled by the UK Government, National Energy System Operator (NESO), and regulator Ofgem, rather than the Scottish Government.
Industry figures support Swinney's concerns about grid access. Renewable energy projects in Scotland face connection delays of up to 10-15 years, with approximately 95 GW of renewable energy capacity stuck in connection queues across the UK. Some Scottish projects are waiting 8-10 years for grid access.
The issues that we have about the development of Scotland's renewable energy potential are all about grid connections, and those decisions have got nothing to do with the Scottish Government. The problem is that developments that are consented then face a difficulty getting access to the grid, and that's the responsibility of the UK Government.
GB Energy's funding initiatives
However, GB Energy has launched several funding initiatives since receiving its first £125 million allocation in the October 2024 budget. In December 2025, the company opened a £300 million Supply Chain Fund for Offshore Wind and Networks to build UK manufacturing capacity for constrained components. More recently, on 17 September 2026, GB Energy launched a £30 million funding programme for over 1,000 community-led clean energy projects across the UK, including £1.8 million specifically for Scotland's CARES programme.
Swinney maintained his criticism nonetheless, stating: "I thought, with the advent of GB Energy and the upsurge in focus on the Starmer government on clean power, that would see a massive speeding up of developments. We've seen nothing of the sort."
Calls for devolution or faster action
The First Minister challenged Westminster to either accelerate renewable energy development or devolve the necessary powers to Scotland. "If the UK Government won't speed up those developments, speed up that consenting, allow it to a Scottish Government to take those decisions and make sure Scotland moves to realise our renewable energy potential," he said.
Swinney emphasised that any UK Government decision on oil field approvals must align with legal obligations to deliver net zero emissions targets.
The UK Government has been approached for comment.
