The Cost of Running Down Nuclear Power in Scotland

The motion

That the Parliament regrets the continued opposition of the Scottish Government to the development of new nuclear power stations; notes with grave concern data published by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) showing that Scottish grid constraints added a record £342 million in charges to consumer bills in September 2026 alone, bringing total constraint costs for 2026 so far to £1.39 billion; understands that these costs, which arise when the network cannot transport power efficiently and require expensive rebalancing, are ultimately passed on to households and businesses; notes reports that annual balancing costs have risen more than six-fold since the retirement of Hunterston B Power Station and that NESO predicts these costs could double again by the end of the decade without urgent action on transmission and generation; believes that Scotland’s energy future relies on a pragmatic domestic energy mix that embraces new nuclear energy and safeguards jobs in the North Sea oil and gas sector through continued drilling, and notes the calls on the Scottish Government to drop what it sees as its ideologically driven stance against new nuclear sites and to work with industry bodies, including the Nuclear Industry Association, to deliver new Small Modular Reactors across Scotland.

No recorded vote on this motion. Most motions are never debated, and many that are debated are agreed without a division. Vote records are published from 2011.

1. S7M-01796.1
   The Cost of Running Down Nuclear Power in Scotland

   Dawn Black SNP Lodged 29 Oct 2026
   No recorded vote

Con 6 Reform 2 Lab 1 Ind 1

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

No contribution in the Official Report cites S7M-01796 by reference.