Scotland is at the forefront of a green energy revolution, with wind farms, solar projects, and other renewable developments transforming landscapes and communities. But who really benefits from this shift – and who is being left behind?
The Power Shift is a collaborative investigative journalism project bringing together reporters from across Scotland to explore how land use is changing, who holds the power, and what this means for communities on the ground.
With support from the Tenacious Journalism Awards and Uplift we’re digging into key questions such as:
- Community benefits – Where is the money from green energy projects going, and is it reaching the people who need it most?
- Land ownership – How is the renewable boom influencing who controls the land?
- Absentee landlords & developers – Who’s making decisions about energy projects, and how much say do local communities really have?
- Environmental & social impact – Are green energy projects truly sustainable, and what unintended consequences are they bringing?
- Power & influence – Who are the key players shaping Scotland’s energy future?
Through in-depth reporting a print magazine, and cross-community collaboration, we aim to shed light on these issues and amplify voices from across the country.
Power Shift – articles from our partners
Communities could miss out on millions from Scotland’s renewables boom, new report warns
Communities across Scotland risk missing out on a share of the wealth generated by renewable …
Opinion: Sacred landscapes destroyed
For years we have seen that no landscape is iconic enough to be invulnerable to …
Communities were promised a share of Scotland’s wind boom. Some are being sold short
More than 20 wind farms are failing to pay an agreed amount to locals. That …
How Stonehaven might benefit from nearby energy projects
Inland, to the west is Fetteresso Forest, already home to one substation – and the …
A strategy to utilise Scotland’s wind wealth
Scotland has become a world leader in wind energy. With abundant onshore and offshore wind …
Locked out by design: what stands between the Local Power Plan and the communities it’s meant to deliver for
In February 2026, the UK Government and Great British Energy launched the Local Power Plan …
Who gets to decide about Scotland’s national parks?
The dust may finally be settling on the decade-long saga of Flamingo Land and Loch …
Musselburgh firm shows how renewable energy can support local communities
Founded in 2022 by Josh King and Robert Wilson, Gensource provides services from design and …
A Hebridean Boom Town is on the horizon.
But who will pay for it and at what cost? Renewable energy development in Lewis …
From Shetland to Åland: what happens when locals have the power to decide over wind farms?
Shetland is the windiest region in the UK if not in Europe, and the wind …
Grid constraints, new proposals, and rising opposition: mapping the North Central Highland’s energy future
A surge of wind farm proposals In June 2025, Kyle Chronicle mapped all wind farm …
The Power Shift: democratising energy, seizing power
As the chokehold of over-extended supply chains for shipping massive amounts of fossil fuels is …
Telling better stories
What happens when no one is watching? When local stories go untold, communities lose more …
New environmental journalism network and magazine launched to tell better stories of Scotland’s energy boom
“We’re here because we want to tell better, richer stories about our communities; not ignoring …
The Power Shift LIVE: launch of new magazine and environmental journalism network
The Power Shift Live is a one day event happening in Glasgow on 10 April, …
Opinion: Energy acceleration in rural Scotland
Last week, representatives of community councils from across Scotland travelled to Holyrood for a roundtable …
No Time to Lose – on Scotland’s Just Transition
‘The stakes are extremely high’ Anne Thomas, 63, lives on the Black Isle and has …
The Power Shift: Lessons from communities already making renewables work for them
Co-published with The Herald On the windswept island of Tiree, a four-hour ferry ride from …
Reflections on a ‘Ceilidh Theatre’ experiment exploring the renewable energy question
This week saw the Spring Collective present ‘a collision of presentations’, song, poetry, provocations and …
Tiree: Powering Community Wealth Building with renewable energy
Approaching the wind-buffeted island of Tiree after a four-hour ferry journey, visitors and residents alike …
The Power Shift: Lessons from communities already making renewables work for them
On the windswept island of Tiree, a four-hour ferry ride from Oban, a solitary community-owned …
Solar panel company focussed on one thing to outlast challenges of renewable sector
A renewable energy company has soared to success by focussing on a core product that …
Speculating on the Wind in the Hebrides
Published in partnership with The Herald As commercial windfarms are being lined up for development …
How Shetland Turned Division into £72m of Community Benefit
Published in partnership with The Herald THE KEY to a successful community benefit fund from …
Renewable developments: Highland communities demand more planning democracy
Published in partnership with The Herald “It seems [Scottish Ministers Alastair Allan and Gillian Martin] …
Carsphairn Seeks Balance Between Renewable Development and Rural Life
Published in partnership with The Herald Tucked between the Rhinns of Kells and Cairnsmore of …
The Scottish Beacon: A Collaborative Approach to Telling Scotland’s Local Stories
As someone who founded an independent, hyperlocal publication – Greater Govanhill magazine – I know …
The Power Shift: Renewables, Communities and the Question of Who Really Benefits from Scotland’s Green Energy Revolution
Published in partnership with The Herald As the world leaders gather in Brazil, to discuss …
The Great Energy Heist
Orkney has a long history in the use of renewable sources of energy. In 1955 …
From the Just Transition’s National Summit
Scotland’s Just Transition Commission held a major national summit in Edinburgh this week, with the …
Kinlochbervie wind farm row raises questions over transparency – not turbines
Locals insist they’re not against renewables, but say their voices were silenced over how the …
Scottish Community Coalition on Energy release a Manifesto for Community Renewables
The response to the rising unrest about the experience of the onshore renewables industry in …
Energy in Shetland: what’s next for the islands?
People will get the rare chance to hear from a range of energy developers in …
The ‘Hebridean wind rush’: A growth opportunity for global corporations but not community-owned energy?
A Hebridean wind rush is gathering momentum. But as global corporations secure space on the …
The Power Shift: voices from rural Scotland on the renewable energy rush
Scotland is in the grip of an energy revolution. Across the country, wind and solar …
MSPs and MPs agree to push for a “much-needed” debate in Holyrood and Westminster about renewable energy in Highlands
Held at Kingsmill Hotel, Inverness on Tuesday 12th August, the convention was attended by delegates …
Statkraft revives controversial wind farm plan near Dunoon, community benefit details revealed
Statkraft says it is to take forward plans for a hydrogen project at Scatsta after …
Grasping the opportunity of Scotland’s renewable revolution
The Power Shift is a new project connecting independent media outlets to share knowledge and …
Is the current planning system for renewables sidelining communities?
“It seems [Scottish Ministers Alastair Allan and Gillian Martin] are completely detached from the reality …
Study finds community energy generates 100x more wealth than corporate counterparts
New research shows a ‘staggering imbalance’ in who benefits from Scotland’s renewable energy boom. A …
Repowering: Communities at the heart of Scotland’s renewable future
Trying to keep up with the constantly evolving government policies aimed at mitigating climate change …
Shetland: SSE Renewables earns £5.5m in constraint payments in just three months
But none were paid during a planned shutdown earlier in October By Ryan Nicolson, Shetland …
Transitioning to Renewables: Lessons from the Past
From the use of whale oil for lighting in the 1800s to the production of …
