Scottish Ministers Face Backlash Over Approval of New Gas Plant in Peterhead
SNP ministers have been criticised for authorising a new gas-fired power station in Peterhead, with environmental groups calling the move a climate-policy failure.
SNP ministers approved a gas-fired power station at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, developed by SSE Thermal and Equinor, which they say will include carbon-capture and provide reliable backup for renewable sources. Environmental advocates, including Katherine May of Oxfam Scotland and Caroline Rance of Friends of the Earth Scotland, condemned the consent as a "catastrophic failure" and an act of climate hypocrisy, especially since it coincided with a Holyrood debate on climate justice.
They argue the plant will extend reliance on volatile fossil gas and drive up energy bills for households. Green MSP Maggie Chapman highlighted that the existing Peterhead plant is Scotland's largest source of climate pollution and urged investment in renewable jobs instead. The developers maintain the project will aid the transition to net-zero, but opponents view carbon-capture as unproven greenwashing. Both the developers and the Scottish Government have not responded to requests for comment.
Why it matters
The approval could lock Scotland into decades of fossil-fuel use, affecting climate goals and energy costs for households.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTBoth camps report backlash and label the decision a “catastrophic failure” and climate hypocrisy, but the right-leaning coverage adds the ministers’ justification about carbon-capture and backup power, while the centrist coverage focuses solely on the criticism.
CENTER
Centrist coverage frames the approval as a climate-hypocrisy scandal, emphasizing the “catastrophic” backlash against ministers.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage frames the story as a contested decision, noting both the backlash and the ministers’ claim that the plant will include carbon-capture and serve as reliable backup for renewables.
The right emphasises
- carbon-capture and reliable backup for renewable sources
- potential rise in household energy bills
- call for investment in renewable jobs
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