Energy

SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) plays a crucial role in managing the environmental impacts of Scotland's energy sector, which includes both renewable and non-renewable sources. We developed an Energy Framework to clarify our remit, as we support the Government’s energy ambitions.  

We use our regulatory tools, experience, knowledge and partnership approach to help to protect the environment during the development, operation and decommissioning of electricity and heat production, transmission, storage and use. We operate under the Environment Act 1995 and other specific regulations, ensuring compliance with environmental standards:  

Regulating impacts on the water environment from energy generation under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. 
Permitting combustion and power plants and industrial processes under the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012. 
Regulating greenhouse gas emissions through the EU Emissions Trading System, the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme, and the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme. 
Regulating the disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. 
Regulating waste management and disposal, including energy recovery from waste. 
Act as a statutory consultee for development plans,  many planning applications, and those applications that under Sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 require environmental impact assessment; 
Act as a designated consultation authority for  Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and through the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) Regulations 2004; monitor impacts on soil, water quality and biodiversity.

Since energy is a reserved matter, strategic decision making roles and regulatory responsibilities relating to energy issues such as technology choice, security, affordability and market fairness are made at the UK Government.

The Scottish Government is currently introducing the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025  (draft EASR 2025). The aim of EASR is to provide a standardised, simplified, common framework for environmental authorisations in Scotland, known as an Integrated Authorisation Framework (IAF).  Readers should refer to EASR as they will become the key regulation we will use to ensure compliance with environmental standards. See here for more information on the consultation process.