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Renewable Energy

Asked by Mr Angus MacDonaldLiberal DemocratDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 8 September 2025UIN 72622

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the total value of community benefit payments from renewable energy infrastructure to communities in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) the Highland Council area in 2024.

Answered by Michael Shanks

The Department does not hold data on the value of community benefits payments made by onshore and offshore renewables across Great Britain. Community benefit schemes are administered by the projects themselves and provided voluntarily. We have however, recently publishing a Working Paper on mandatory community benefits and responses to this will help inform our evidence base.

The Scottish Government maintains a public register of projects that includes detailed information on community benefit schemes operating across Scotland.

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