ScottishPower said on Monday it will invest a record £10 billion in Scotland as part of a large-scale upgrade to the country’s electricity grid, with the aim of supporting growing energy demand and accelerating the transition to clean power.
The investment is part of parent company Iberdrola’s recently announced €58 billion strategic plan, which identified the UK as its top market for capital deployment.
The UK-based utility said the funding would support the creation of around 2,300 new jobs by 2027, with approximately 80% of those roles based in Scotland. The final quarter of 2025 alone is expected to see 300 new hires.
To support its expansion, ScottishPower has opened a new office at Edinburgh Park, which will serve as a hub for its SP Energy Networks division. The facility will house teams responsible for major grid projects, including subsea electricity links on Scotland’s east and west coasts.
“The grid is the energy backbone and with demand rapidly increasing we need to reinforce and build more of it,” said Keith Anderson, chief executive of ScottishPower. “Our investment commitments are about more than just infrastructure – we’re creating high-quality, long-term jobs both in our company and right across the supply chain.”
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney joined Anderson at the new office opening, praising the company’s role in supporting the national economy.
“ScottishPower’s investment in Scotland will drive economic growth and support thousands of high-quality, sustainable jobs – many of them based at their fantastic new Edinburgh Park base,” Swinney said. “They are setting a shining example of how the transition to green energy can create real financial opportunity.”
The company said the investment will support infrastructure projects including the Eastern Green Link subsea cable developments, overhead line expansions, and upgrades to its onshore transmission network.
“This is a pivotal moment for the grid as we embark on the biggest build-out in almost a century,” said Nicola Connelly, CEO of SP Energy Networks. “That also means growth in our people and supply chain, which is great news for the economic future of our country.”
Some sections of Scotland’s electricity infrastructure date back nearly 100 years. SP Energy Networks recently decommissioned the oldest transmission line in the country, as part of a wider programme to modernise and expand the grid for low-carbon electricity.
The Edinburgh Park site will also serve as a joint base with National Grid Electricity Transmission for teams delivering subsea cable work.
