UK To Get Biggest Proportion Of Investment In ScottishPower Owner’s £51bn Plan

The UK will receive the largest share of a €58 billion (£50.6 billion) investment programme announced by Iberdrola, the Spanish owner of ScottishPower, in a move expected to create thousands of jobs and strengthen Britain’s energy infrastructure.

Iberdrola confirmed that 35% of the five-year plan will be directed to the UK, compared with 30% for the US. The investment, which runs until 2028, will focus primarily on upgrading electricity transmission and distribution networks. The company said the UK is in “pole position” to benefit because of its clear energy policy frameworks and ambitious net zero goals.

ScottishPower chief executive Keith Anderson said the investment reflected the need for stronger and more resilient grid infrastructure. “The scale of today’s announcement cannot be underestimated,” he said. “We’re investing record sums to deliver the grid that will stand for the next century. With UK energy demand expected to increase in the next decade, we need a network that can match that.”

The plan comes as demand for reliable power surges, driven by the transition to electric heating, the growth of electric vehicles, and the rapid rise in energy-hungry data centres supporting artificial intelligence.

Iberdrola has already committed £24 billion to UK projects, including offshore wind farms off East Anglia and major grid improvements across England, Scotland and Wales. Around £7 billion of that sum has already been spent.

Over the next three years, the group expects to add more than 15,000 employees worldwide. Iberdrola said the majority of new jobs will be linked to renewable energy generation and grid expansion, both of which are critical to meeting climate targets while ensuring security of supply.

For project managers, the programme highlights the complexity of planning and delivering multi-billion-pound infrastructure investments across borders. Coordinating stakeholders, meeting regulatory requirements, and balancing sustainability goals with economic returns will be central challenges as the UK positions itself at the heart of Iberdrola’s global growth strategy.