John Swinney says Budget will ‘maximise’ Scotland’s potential as energy leader
His comments come ahead of a visit to a battery energy storage system site in South Lanarkshire.

Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The First Minister has said the proposed Budget will “maximise our potential as an energy leader” in green power and net zero.
John Swinney’s comments come ahead of a visit to a battery energy storage system site in South Lanarkshire, where he will welcome more funding for Scotland’s energy transition infrastructure.
He said the investment reflects the country’s potential to become an energy-rich nation and the confidence of its investors.
Our budget, if passed, will help maximise our potential as an energy leader by delivering record capital investment funding for our offshore wind sector to develop key ports and infrastructure and grow our manufacturing supply chain in Scotland
Mr Swinney said: “The Scottish Budget will deliver progress for Scotland and support the infrastructure and investment, which will contribute to our future collective success.
“Scotland is an energy-rich nation, but my ambition is for Scots to also become energy-rich people – with our energy wealth delivering more jobs, lower energy bills and real benefits for our communities and businesses.
“Our budget, if passed, will help maximise our potential as an energy leader by delivering record capital investment funding for our offshore wind sector to develop key ports and infrastructure and grow our manufacturing supply chain in Scotland.
“That money will deliver a green reindustrialisation of our economy and attract investment in industries that will power our economic future.”
He added: “This is an exciting time for investment in Scotland in a range of key sectors and I look forward to celebrating a significant new investment in our energy transition infrastructure and making the most of our economic and energy potential to benefit generations to come.”