Scottish Renewables, the representative body for Scotland's renewable energy industry, has hailed the Scottish Government's decision to dramatically increase its offshore wind capacity targets. Speaking at the Offshore Wind Conference 2026 in Glasgow the organisation welcomed the Cabinet Secretary's move to reset the national ambition to 40 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity by 2040.

The trade body noted that this massive upgrade—replacing the previous 2030 target of 8–11 GW—is a vital acknowledgement of the scale of interest generated by the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds. According to Scottish Renewables, the sector is already a powerhouse for the national economy, currently supporting 16,500 full-time jobs and contributing £6.8 billion to Scotland's GVA.

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Colin Palmer, Director of Offshore at Scottish Renewables, emphasised that the conference provides a critical platform to discuss how to maximise the benefits of this technology for the entire UK.

He stated: "The Offshore Wind Conference is an annual opportunity for the sector to come together, recognise what has been achieved so far and reinforce offshore wind as the primary resource for delivering a clean energy system across the UK.

"As an industry it is welcome that the Scottish Government shares our ambitions for a sector that already supports more than 16,500 full-time jobs in Scotland and generates £6.8 billion for the Scottish economy."

The organisation is now calling for a more integrated approach to energy planning across the border, urging Westminster to follow Holyrood's lead. Mr Palmer added: "Scotland will play a key role in achieving the UK's ambition to build a clean, secure and energy resilient energy system and we urge the UK government to recognise the Scottish Government's new commitment for 40GW of new offshore wind capacity by 2040 in its strategic energy planning."