Wind curtailment costs rise

Wind farms in Scotland were paid to shut down for 37% of the first half of 2025 due to grid constraints, costing Britain billions in curtailment payments.

Scotland’s Wind Turbines Are Being Paid to Stand Still 37% of the Time

New data show wind turbine operators in Scotland were paid to switch off 37% of the time during January to June 2025. The off periods amounted to about 4 TWh of lost production because there was no demand or grid capacity to take the power.

Overall curtailment across Britain in the first half of 2025 was led by Scotland, which accounted for 86% of the total and represented a 15% increase from the first half of last year. Balancing costs for the 2024/25 fiscal year reached 2.7 billion pounds as grid operators tried to prevent overloading the network. The root cause is a constrained Scottish grid that cannot export power efficiently to demand centers in the south, a problem that would require large investments in new transmission lines and other infrastructure to resolve.

The pattern exposes a stubborn grid bottleneck that undermines a smooth energy transition. The financial burden falls on taxpayers and consumers through balancing costs, even as wind capacity grows. Solving it will require fast infrastructure upgrades and cross‑border connections, not just more wind farms. Without decisive action, curtailment could become a recurring policy issue and a test of political will.

Highlights

The energy system will need clearer priorities between wind growth and grid upgrades to avoid repeating this cost.