Transition to renewables can strengthen communities powering it
Investment in energy infrastructure is giving people the chance to return home to the Highlands, writes Nick Rowan
Across Scotland’s rural and island communities, something important is beginning to happen: people are returning, relocating and choosing to build their futures in places that for decades have experienced population loss. For generations, too many talented people felt they had little choice but to leave in search of opportunity elsewhere. Today, the energy transition gives Scotland the chance to reverse that pattern, drawing on the unique geography, weather and natural resources that make the country so central to the UK’s renewable future.
That sense of place matters to us. Balfour Beatty has been delivering infrastructure in Scotland for more than a century, including many of the hydropower schemes that continue to serve communities today.
Now, with major investment under way in the country's electricity network and wider energy infrastructure, including SSEN Transmission's £29 billion programme to upgrade the transmission network across the north of Scotland, the scale of opportunity is enormous. These projects will help strengthen energy security, unlock economic growth and connect Scotland's renewable energy resources to the homes and businesses that need them.
But the real opportunity extends far beyond the infrastructure itself. Scotland should not judge the success of its energy transition solely by the number of gigawatts connected or the miles of transmission lines installed. Its lasting success will depend on whether the communities hosting this infrastructure are stronger because of it.
Investment of this scale can create skilled jobs, support local businesses, develop future talent and give more people the chance to build long-term careers where they want to live. Across Scotland, we are already beginning to see that happen.
Since 2023, Balfour Beatty has recruited more than 1,000 people across Scotland to deliver projects across SSEN Transmission's portfolio. More than 100 have joined through graduate and apprentice programmes. What is most striking is not simply the number of jobs being created, but who is taking them.
Across the Highlands, Islands and north-east Scotland, we are seeing people return to communities they left years ago, professionals choosing to relocate from cities to rural Scotland, and young people deciding they no longer have to leave home to build a successful career.
One of our engineers recently returned to Lewis after two decades away, having previously left the island because the right opportunities simply did not exist. In Peterhead, another employee has come back to the north-east after years working in England. A former member of the Armed Forces, once regularly working away from home, is now building a career much closer to family in Moray.
These are individual stories, but together they point to something much bigger. Investment in infrastructure is not simply creating jobs; it is giving people the opportunity to return home, put down roots and contribute to the long-term future of their communities.
Places that might once have struggled to attract specialist skills are welcoming people who want to combine rewarding careers with a different quality of life. In doing so, they bring valuable expertise while becoming part of the communities where they live and work.
Just as importantly, more young people can now see a future without feeling they must leave. Across the Highlands and Islands, apprentices and graduates are beginning their careers close to home, gaining qualifications, earning a salary and developing professional skills in places where previous generations often had few comparable opportunities.
None of this should be taken for granted. Infrastructure alone will not transform rural Scotland. To create a lasting legacy, investment must support local supply chains, develop skills and create careers that continue long after construction is complete. If we get that right, today's investment can leave communities stronger for decades to come.
As Scotland continues its energy transition, we have an opportunity to ensure the benefits are shared by the people and places helping to deliver it. The substations, transmission lines and energy infrastructure we build will serve Scotland for generations, just like those early hydropower schemes. But their greatest legacy could be something even more valuable: vibrant communities strengthened by opportunity, where people can put down roots and build new futures.
Balfour Beatty is currently recruiting for a range of roles across Scotland, including Project Engineers, Site Engineers, Project Managers and General Operatives, among others. We will also be attending careers events across Scotland, including the Peterhead Careers Expo on 9 September. To find out more about current opportunities and how to apply, visit www.balfourbeattycareers.com
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