Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross was paid £36m last year to switch off its wind farms, because the wires south were full. That would cover every local household's electricity for about 1.2 years. A further 938 MW of approved clean power (almost all onshore wind) is still waiting to be built here: enough to supply a year's electricity to 819,000 homes. A 300 MW battery approved at Philips Mains, Mey in 2026 would store power that is currently wasted; it has not been built.
The waiting list
Every approved, unbuilt project
| Site | Technology | Enough for | Capacity | Approved | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strathy SouthSouth of Strathy, Sutherland | Wind Onshore | 182,000 homes | 208.0 MW | 2018-04 | 8.3 yrs |
| Chleansaid Onshore Wind FarmDalnessie Estate, approximately 13 km northeast of Lairg | Wind Onshore | 84,000 homes | 96.0 MW | 2023-12 | 2.6 yrs |
| Kirkan Wind FarmLand 3015M SE Of Aultguish Inn, Garve | Wind Onshore | 71,000 homes | 81.6 MW | 2023-07 | 3.0 yrs |
| Achany Extension Wind FarmGlencassley Castle, Rosehall, Lairg, Highlands | Wind Onshore | 66,000 homes | 76.0 MW | 2023-05 | 3.2 yrs |
| Golticlay Wind FarmLand 2040M NE Of Bulreanrob, Lybster | Wind Onshore | 63,000 homes | 72.6 MW | 2021-03 | 5.4 yrs |
| Strathy WoodNear Strathy, Sutherland | Wind Onshore | 55,000 homes | 62.4 MW | 2021-12 | 4.6 yrs |
| Lairg 2 Wind FarmLand 2400M SE Of Cracrail Toroboll Lairg | Wind Onshore | 44,000 homes | 49.9 MW | 2021-11 | 4.8 yrs |
| Slickly Wind Farm1650m E/O Slickly Croft, Lyth, Wick | Wind Onshore | 44,000 homes | 49.9 MW | 2022-08 | 3.9 yrs |
| Cairnview, BettyhillLand 2375M SE Of Cairnview Bettyhill | Wind Onshore | 42,000 homes | 48.0 MW | 2024-02 | 2.4 yrs |
| Sallachy Estate - Wind FarmSallachy Estate Lairg | Wind Onshore | 38,000 homes | 43.2 MW | 2022-05 | 4.2 yrs |
| Meall Buidhe Wind FarmLand 4420M NW Of, Croick Estate, Ardgay, Highlands | Wind Onshore | 35,000 homes | 40.0 MW | 2023-06 | 3.1 yrs |
| Strathrory Wind FarmLand at Strathrory, 4km northeast of Ardross and 8km northwest of Alness | Wind Onshore | 31,000 homes | 36.0 MW | 2022-01 | 4.6 yrs |
| Lochluichart Wind Farm Extension 2SW Of Aultguish Inn Garve | Wind Onshore | 21,000 homes | 24.0 MW | 2023-01 | 3.5 yrs |
| Strath Tirry Wind Farm1450m Ne/O Dalmichie | Wind Onshore | 20,000 homes | 22.8 MW | 2022-06 | 4.2 yrs |
| Creag Riabhach Wind Farm Extension & Battery StorageCreag Riabhach Wind Farm, Creag Riabhach, Lairg | Wind Onshore | 11,000 homes | 12.6 MW | 2024-07 | 2.1 yrs |
| Tacher ALand 310M NW Of Tacher, Latheron, Highlands | Wind Onshore | 3,600 homes | 4.1 MW | 2022-04 | 4.3 yrs |
| Tacher BLand 310M NW Of Tacher, Latheron, Highlands | Wind Onshore | 3,600 homes | 4.1 MW | 2020-11 | 5.7 yrs |
| Tacher CLand 310M NW Of Tacher, Latheron, Highlands | Wind Onshore | 3,600 homes | 4.1 MW | 2022-09 | 3.9 yrs |
| Shore Road - Distillery and Visitor Centre40m Sw/O Dornoch Health Centre, Shore Road, Dornoch | Solar Photovoltaics | 400 homes | 1.0 MW | 2023-10 | 2.8 yrs |
| Alness AcademyAlness Academy, Alness, Highlands | Solar Photovoltaics | 200 homes | 0.5 MW | 2019-03 | 7.4 yrs |
| Wick Airport Industrial Estate - Solar PanelsNucleus The Nuclear And Caithness Archives Wick Airport Industrial Estate Wick | Solar Photovoltaics | 100 homes | 0.3 MW | 2022-06 | 4.1 yrs |
| West Clyth Farm, Occumster - Wind Turbine776M NE Of West Clyth Farm Occumster | Wind Onshore | 200 homes | 0.2 MW | 2023-10 | 2.8 yrs |
| Raddery Smithy - Solar PV System InstallationRaddery Smithy, Raddery, Fortrose | Solar Photovoltaics | 100 homes | 0.1 MW | 2024-03 | 2.4 yrs |
Plus 9 more approved within the last two years.
Batteries
| Site | Size | Status | While discharging |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titan Battery Storage | 500 MW | in planning | could supply ≈1,752,000 homes |
| Philips Mains, Mey - Battery Energy Storage | 300 MW | approved, not built 2026 | could supply ≈1,051,000 homes |
| Spittal Mains, Spittal - Battery Energy Storage System | 300 MW | in planning | could supply ≈1,051,000 homes |
| Achies - Battery Energy Storage System | 162 MW | in planning | could supply ≈568,000 homes |
| Shinness Wind Farm | 105 MW | in planning | could supply ≈368,000 homes |
| Dunballoch Farm, Dunballoch - Battery Energy Storage | 100 MW | in planning | could supply ≈350,000 homes |
| Limekiln, Borlum House - Battery Energy Storage System | 70 MW | in planning | could supply ≈245,000 homes |
| Ceislein Wind Farm | 65 MW | in planning | could supply ≈228,000 homes |
| Spittal Mains Quarry - Battery storage | 50 MW | approved, not built 2025 | could supply ≈175,000 homes |
| Geiselittle Farm - Battery Energy Storage | 50 MW | approved, not built 2025 | could supply ≈175,000 homes |
| Stainland Energy Storage Project | 50 MW | approved, not built 2022 | could supply ≈175,000 homes |
| Lochluichart - Energy Storage Facility | 50 MW | approved, not built 2024 | could supply ≈175,000 homes |
Wind farms paid to switch off
| Site | Paid, 12 months | Energy lost | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limekiln Wind Farm | £5.2m | a year of 55,000 homes' electricity | medium |
| Creag Riabhach Wind Farm | £4.9m | a year of 36,000 homes' electricity | high |
| Strathy North | £4.8m | a year of 23,000 homes' electricity | high |
| Baillie Wind Farm | £3.8m | a year of 19,000 homes' electricity | high |
| Corriemoillie | £3.3m | a year of 16,000 homes' electricity | high |
| Gordonbush | £3.3m | a year of 15,000 homes' electricity | medium |
| Gordonbush (extension) | £2.2m | a year of 10,000 homes' electricity | medium |
| Lochluichart | £1.6m | a year of 7,200 homes' electricity | high |
| Limekiln Wind Farm (Extension) | £1.4m | a year of 15,000 homes' electricity | medium |
| Beinn Tharsuinn Windfarm Project | £1.3m | a year of 6,200 homes' electricity | high |
| Kilbraur Windfarm | £1.3m | a year of 5,700 homes' electricity | high |
| Halsary Wind Farm | £780k | a year of 35,000 homes' electricity | high |
| Burn of Whilk | £740k | a year of 3,300 homes' electricity | high |
| Lochluichart (Extension) | £570k | a year of 2,500 homes' electricity | high |
| Kilbraur Windfarm Farlary - Extension | £550k | a year of 2,500 homes' electricity | high |
What this page does not show
The switch-off figure covers the big wind farms on the national grid only; smaller farms on the local grid are switched off invisibly, so it is a floor. Offshore wind is counted nationally, never per seat. The planning database can run a quarter behind reality.
Electricity does not travel from a particular project to particular houses. Everything generated goes into the national grid and everyone draws from that shared pool, so "enough for X homes" is a way of sizing the electricity — not a claim that these homes would be powered by this site. Battery storage is counted separately from generation: it moves power in time rather than making it.
Planning statuses come from the government's planning database (REPD), which records what was decided and when, but not why. Where a project was refused we say so and name the authority; for the reasons, look up the planning reference on that council's own register. How to check any figure on this page →
What has Jamie Stone said about the grid in Parliament? Search Hansard →