Britain can’t wait for more secure, affordable energy

That’s why it’s time to invest in more homegrown electricity and build the projects that will make our electricity system more affordable and less exposed to global fossil fuel prices. By working together, government and industry can speed up new renewables and upgrade the grid to secure more stable costs for households and businesses across Britain.

Investing billions in energy infrastructure

We’re putting serious investment behind our energy future. We’re focusing the bulk of this investment on strengthening the UK’s electricity networks, so more affordable sources of homegrown power can reach homes and businesses. We’re also investing in renewables and flexible generation to keep the lights on when demand is high.

This is about building a system people can rely on. One that’s more secure and less exposed to global price shocks.

And we’re not stopping there. We’re ready to keep investing beyond 2030, because action, not just ambition, is what will deliver a more stable, affordable energy system for the UK.

Read about the SSE Investment Case

Dogger Bank – the world's largest offshore wind farm

Along with our joint venture partners, Equinor and Vårgrønn, we’re building the world’s largest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank in the North Sea.

Dogger Bank will be delivered in 3 phases, each with an installed power generation capacity of 1.2GW. Once all phases are complete and operational, Dogger Bank will have an installed capacity capable of powering up to 6 million homes annually!*

Discover more about offshore wind technology

In 2024-2025, our energy generation output was 43% renewables (including pumped storage, battery energy storage systems and biomass output and excludes constrained-off wind) and 57% non-renewable sources (Total excludes output from joint venture power stations where SSE does not have operational control and includes 100% of output from joint venture power stations where SSE has full operational control under Power Purchase Agreements). We are committed to being operationally net zero by 2050, measuring and reporting on our science-based targets for carbon reduction and aiming to cut our carbon intensity by 80% from a 2017/18 baseline.

We measure and report our progress annually against interim science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions which are in line with goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (also known as the ‘power sector 1.5°C’). Our targets, which are verified by the Science-Based Target Initiative (“SBTi”), are considered ‘science-based’ if they are in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Greenhouse gas emissions are classified into three scopes:

Scope 1: Electricity generation carbon emissions.
Scope 2: Electricity consumption in operational and non-operational buildings and distribution losses.
Scope 3: Gas sold, upstream emissions from extraction, refining and transport of raw fuels purchased, SHE Transmission losses (power losses on GB transmission network) joint venture investments and business travel.

Performance against our science-based emissions targets

Target	Unit	2017/18	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	Target	Progress against target
Reduce the GHG intensity of scope 1 GHG emissions by 80% by 2030, from a 2017/18 base year	gCO2e/kWh	307	259	254	205	218	61	29% reduction in GHG intensity since 2017/18
Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 72.5% by 2030 from a 2017/18 base year	MtCO2e	11.06	6.24	6.52	4.81	5.70	3.04	48% reduction in absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions since 2017/18
Reduce absolute GHG emissions from use of products sold by 50% by 2034 from a 2017/18 base year	MtCO2e	2.53	2.29	2.16	2.01	1.95	1.27	23% reduction in GHG emissions from gas sold since 2017/18
Engage with 90% of suppliers by spend to set an SBT by 2030	%	0	48	51	51	51	90	In 2024, SSE reached its target to engage with 50% of suppliers by spend to help them set science-based targets. SSE has now expanded the target to engage 90% of suppliers by spend by 2030.

We remain on track to achieve our SBTi-approved target to reduce Scope 1 GHG emissions intensity by 80% between 2017/18 and 2030. GHG emissions intensity is the amount of GHGs released per unit of electricity generated. We expect that our Net Zero Acceleration Plus programme will develop and connect the renewables capacity which will contribute to a reduction in the Scope 1 GHG intensity by 2030.

SSE is now one-third of the way towards its scope 1 carbon intensity reduction target and two-thirds of the way towards its absolute scope 1 and 2 reduction target. SSE is nearly halfway towards meeting its scope 3 gas sold target.

Both SSE’s scope 1 carbon intensity and absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions increased compared to last year due to a 24% rise in thermal generation output and constrained capacity on the grid for renewable energy. This year’s rise in thermal generation output was caused by changes in market demand and increased running of SSE’s most efficient assets.

Our total Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions combined were 5.70MtCO2 e in 2024/25 - this is a reduction of 48% from the 2017/18 base year of our SBTi-approved target to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 72.5% by 2030.

GHG emissions from gas sold to customers, which contribute around 43% of our Scope 3 emissions in 2024/25, decreased from 2.01MtCO2e to 1.95MtCO2e. This represents a 23% reduction against the 2017/18 base year. Our SBTi-approved target is to reduce GHG emissions from gas sold by 50% between 2017/18 and 2034.

The UK continues to require flexible gas-fired power stations on the grid to maintain security of supply in periods of low renewable generation output. SSE is fully focused on providing vital flexible and reliable generation in a way that is consistent with our Paris-aligned, science-based targets and our commitment to achieving net zero by 2050.  

We are already making major progress in this regard, closing our last coal-fired power station in 2020, five years ahead of the UK Government’s 2025 deadline, and building a super-efficient power station at Keadby 2 in North Lincolnshire. The power station has an efficiency of around 63 per cent, that is the percentage of the total energy content of a power plant's fuel that is converted into electricity, making it the most efficient plant of its type in the UK and Europe - and one of the most efficient in the world. Find out more about Keadby’s SGT5-9000HL heavy duty gas turbine on the Siemen’s Energy website. It entered commercial operations in March 2023.

The station represents a vital next step in the UK’s journey to net zero, with plans already in place for the next generation of low-carbon power stations situated at Keadby. In addition, work is underway to explore how to decarbonise the 893MW Keadby 2 further, with the potential to blend hydrogen into the plant as a first step.

We will not build any further power stations without a clear route to decarbonisation, and we’re now focused on decarbonising our gas-fired power generation through exciting opportunities in carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen solutions, which we believe will allow flexible power stations to continue providing large-scale generation in a net zero world, learn more about Flexible Generation on our SSE Thermal website.

SSE is investing around £33bn to 2030 as part of our Transformation for Growth programme. We expect to allocate ~ 82% into networks, ~ 12% into renewables, and ~ 6% into other businesses, including gas and low-carbon flexible generation technologies. In 25/26 we invested more in energy projects than we made in profit. Our adjusted operating profit in 25/26 was £2,237m and our investment in assets was £3.6bn.

Upgrading the grid

Our networks businesses play a critical role in the energy transition by developing, building, maintaining and operating an efficient energy network which supplies electricity to communities, homes and businesses across the country.

We distribute power directly to 3.9 million homes and businesses across central southern England and the north of Scotland, and we’re also responsible for the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland, which consists of underground and subsea cables, overhead lines and electricity substations.

We must upgrade the grid today to ensure that low-cost renewable electricity generated in Britain can make it’s way to homes and businesses. By upgrading the grid we will be able to move more homegrown power to where it’s needed safely and at scale.

Enabling an electrified future

Britain already has a clear path forward: a system powered by homegrown, low-cost renewable electricity, supported by modernised networks, will lay the foundations for an energy system that runs on electricity.

Electrification is replacing technologies that rely on fossil fuels with electric alternatives. By making it easier to switch to electric heating and transport, we can build an energy system that’s more reliable and cheaper to run.

Accelerating electrification will ensure homes and businesses can access cheaper, more efficient electricity, while spreading system costs more fairly. As electrification accelerates, these benefits will grow, improving efficiency, lowering overall energy use, and supporting a more competitive economy.

Why homegrown electricity matters

Britain still relies heavily on energy from global markets - and when those markets are volatile, people feel it in their bills. The more we depend on imported fuels, the less control we have over costs.

That’s why building more homegrown electricity is so important. Power generated here in the UK, from sources like wind and solar, isn’t exposed to the same global price shocks. We also have flexible gas-fired power stations on the grid to provide reliable back-up electricity when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.

Over time, that means a more secure energy system and better protection against rising costs, helping keep bills more stable for homes and businesses.

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