Summary

The main statistical output for energy statistics in Scotland is the Quarterly energy statistics Scotland. These are a Scottish cut of the Energy Trends publication produced by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) meaning results are comparable between the Scottish output and those for the UK.

The publication gives an overview of key facts and trends relating to energy in Scotland with breakdowns of the proportion of electricity generated from each source, renewable electricity generation, capacity and development.

The Scottish Government also maintains a Scottish energy statistics hub index which is designed to bring all energy related data together to allow users to explore this at a more detailed level.

Renewable energy is a wider label than renewable electricity, which is the focus of the statistics outputs. It includes renewable heating (such as biomass boilers) or renewable transport (such as use of biofuels). Details on these additional parts can be found in the energy statistics hub.

When talking about renewable electricity there are different measures that can be used and it is key that statements are clear which measure(s) they are using. This is specifically important when talking about generation where there are several key measures.

1. Installed capacity

This is the theoretical upper limit of what can be produced, and the maximum electricity that can be generated based on optimum conditions – for example, the perfect wind speed for wind turbines to generate power. Despite being a somewhat unrealistic measure, this is generally the measure reported internationally and by the media.

2. Derated capacity

This can be thought of as the expected capacity for renewable generation. The means by which installed capacity is derated were originally set out within the Electricity Act 1989. It is a simple proportion by which the installed capacity is multiplied and is intended to represent the intermittent nature of wind, sun and tide/wave power. This can be substantially lower, for example as low as 45% of the total installed capacity for renewables.

3. Declared net capacity

Declared net capacity can be calculated for all sources of energy, both renewable and non-renewable. It is the maximum capacity at which the installation can be operated for a sustained period without causing damage to it (assuming the source of power used by it to generate electricity was available to it without interruption) less the amount of electricity that is consumed by the plant itself.

4. Transmission entry capacity

Transmission entry capacity reflects the ability to move power from the generation source to the national grid. It is agreed between the producer and the National Energy System Operator. For example, a nuclear power station could have installed capacity of 110GW but if the network can only handle 90GW from it then its transmission entry capacity will be 90GW.

5. Energy generated

This measure reflects the actual power produced from a source. This can be higher or lower than the derated or declared net capacity, particularly for renewables where you might have an especially good or bad period in terms of wind speed or clear skies. The better the year, the more this will approach the total installed capacity.

Aside from generation, the other key measure is consumption which is the energy used within the country. The official statistics on energy tend to focus on consumption of electricity or gas by consumer group (e.g. household or industry), as opposed to proportion of consumption from a renewable energy source, which can be found in the energy statistics hub.

Things to consider

• The Scottish Government aims to generate the equivalent of 50% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030, which will require the near-complete decarbonisation of its energy system by 2050. Progress can be checked by looking at the Renewable energy target section of the energy statistics hub. The target can be achieved by increasing renewable energy generation, reducing overall energy consumption or a combination of both. There are consumption and renewable generation sections of the quarterly energy statistics publication. The electricity generation and supply section gives the proportion of the energy system that is from renewable or low carbon sources.
• The proportions applied to calculate derated capacity are a matter of debate. Statements may therefore use the actual outputs recorded for an energy source as this is a known value and gives the most realistic estimate that takes account of its particular circumstances (e.g. winds in that part of the country and what the grid can handle there).
• Derating is important when talking about capacity of renewables to allow meaningful comparisons between them and sources of electricity that do not suffer intermittency issues or different sources of renewable electricity where the intermittency issues may differ. If you are discussing value for money between a new nuclear power station and a new wind farm, only one of these generally depends on the weather and so the derated capacity controls for this and allows a useful comparison.
• While nuclear or fossil fuelled power stations tend to be large, there can be a greater diversity of scale in suppliers for renewable generation, and it is possible that the statistics might not represent the full capacity or generation. For example DESNZ is currently working to capture more of the UK’s solar capacity (see Methodology Update in December 2025 Energy Trends publication.

What to look out for

• Statements should be clear on whether they are on renewable energy or renewable electricity with the former including heat and transport as well as electricity. These terms should not be conflated.
• Statements should be clear on what basis they are describing electricity generation and why the chosen measure is appropriate in that context. As the total installed capacity is a theoretical upper limit, as opposed to a realistic measure of capacity, users should be mindful that this measure will always give a more positive picture of what might be achieved.
• Where statements are made about what proportion of a country’s electricity is from renewable sources, it is vital that these are clear as to whether they are referring to electricity generated or consumed. Large amounts of renewable electricity can be generated but then exported to be used elsewhere. This can mean that a country can look very green when using production but look less so when considering consumption.
• There is a related but distinct grouping within energy statistics called low carbon and renewable which sometimes contains some additional forms of generation namely nuclear and pumped storage (a form of hydroelectric power). Any statements referring to these statistics should be clear on the inclusion or exclusion of these additional forms of generation.
• The Scottish Government’s target to generate the equivalent of 50% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030 can be achieved by increasing renewable energy generation, reducing overall energy consumption or a combination of both. Statements that focus solely on increasing renewable energy generation will lack the necessary context to know how this impacts progress toward the target, likewise for any statement solely on consumption.

Wider support

Scottish renewables is an industry body for renewable energy in Scotland and maintains a statistics page which draws its production, consumption, planning and emissions statistics from either the Scottish Government or DESNZ outputs but presents this in a single summary webpage alongside economics data from the Fraser Allander Institute and renewable heat data from the Energy Saving Trust.

Statistics for the UK are published in DESNZ’s Energy Trends which are similar to the Scottish energy trends although contain some more detail. There are a number of other UK outputs which cover renewable energy such as:

Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) – very detailed and extensive breakdown of the UK energy sector but figures tend to be at UK level only

Energy Consumption in the UK – comprehensive publication on consumption in the UK but figures tend to be at UK level only

Solar photovoltaics deployment – this does not have a specific figure for Scotland but figures are published by parliamentary constituency and so a Scottish figure can be arrived at with some basic Excel skills

Energy flow chart – a graphical representation of the source of production within the UK including imports and the final destination including consumption of energy within the UK or export

UK energy in brief  – summary of statistics on energy production, consumption, prices and climate change in the UK