Queries regarding numbers, ownership and approval of wind turbines: EIR release

Information requested

1) How many wind turbines are there in Scotland?

2) How many of these are owned by companies that are not British?

3) is it true that the power from the turbines (not owned by British companies) are being sold by non-British companies back to Scotland and the rest of the U.K. and this is why our energy bills are not being reduced?

4) Do those applying for planning permission to erect wind turbines just get automatically approved?

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

1. Please see table below of the number of Onshore and Offshore wind turbines in Scotland, of which 4841 are operational.

Technology	Operational
Wind Offshore	495
Wind Onshore	4346

Please note that turbines at the offshore wind sites Moray West Offshore Wind Farm Project and Neart na Gaoithe have been included in the operational figures, despite being recorded as “under construction” in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD). This is because they were reported as operational in the September edition of Energy Trends September 2025 and confirmed by colleagues in Marine Scotland.

These figures have been sourced from the Renewable Energy Planning Database maintained by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The latest quarterly extract provides figures up to January 2026: Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract - GOV.UK.

It should also be noted that there was a minimum installed capacity threshold for inclusion into the REPD of 1MW until 2021, at which point it was lowered to 150kW. This means that projects below 1MW that were going through the planning system before 2021 may not be represented in the REPD database. Despite the limitations in the data provided by DESNZ, we consider this to be the most reliable source for this data. In addition, there will be a number of domestic wind turbines installed in the curtilage of dwelling houses which did not require an application for planning permission and are therefore not included in these statistics.

2. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance information that you requested is already publicly available in a previous response to an EIR request: List of wind farm owners and funding they have received: EIR release - gov.scot

Therefore, we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 6(1)(b) of the EIRs. Under the terms of the exception at regulation 6(1)(b) of the EIRs (information already available) we do not have to give you information which is already publicly available and easily accessible to you in another form or format. This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception.

3. The ownership arrangements for wind turbines does not determine the price people pay for electricity. Scotland is part of the integrated Great Britain (GB) electricity grid, meaning that electricity produced here flows across the system to meet demand throughout Scotland, England and Wales. This arrangement ensures security of supply for all parts of GB and operates regardless of who owns the generating assets.

Decisions on electricity pricing are set at a UK level, by the UK Government. Prices are regulated by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), an independent body responsible for the GB energy market. These pricing arrangements apply across the whole GB system, no matter where electricity is generated or who owns a generator.

As we have now entered the pre-election period ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections on 7 May, restrictions on government business are in place until after the election. Officials are therefore unable to provide further comment on any future policy.

4. Applications to install wind turbines are not automatically approved, regardless of whether they are processed by the Energy Consents Unit (ECU), Marine Directorate, or local planning authorities.

Consent from Scottish Ministers is required under the Electricity Act 1989 for onshore generating stations with a capacity greater than 50MW. These applications are subject to consultation with the public, statutory and local bodies. Through this process, Scottish Ministers must take into account all the views presented when considering applications and the merits of each proposal are considered on a case-by-case basis. A careful balance must be struck between the potential impacts of the development and the associated environmental, economic, renewable energy and climate change benefits.

The National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and makes clear our support for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies, including transmission and distribution infrastructure. Potential impacts on communities, nature and cultural heritage, including the cumulative effects of developments, are important considerations in the decision making process. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments.

For onshore projects under 50MW, local planning authorities are the decision‑makers under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. It is for the planning authority to interpret and implement relevant planning legislation, policy, and guidance as it deems appropriate given the circumstances of a case and to ensure that the provisions of the planning system are applied properly. 

In relation to offshore, all applications are subject to rigorous site-specific assessment in line with legislative requirements and are considered on their own merit, balancing the needs of all maritime users and the natural environment.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.