Annual Report 2025/26 - Delivery Plan Implementation and Next Steps

EmPowering Shetland brings partners together to ensure that major economic developments, particularly in energy and the net zero transition, deliver tangible benefits for Shetland’s people and communities. 

Progress during 2025/26 included:

• Drafting the Shetland Development Charter and associated Supply Chain Commitments, setting clear expectations for local benefit and participation.
• Ongoing engagement with developers, to encourage early alignment around community benefit, infrastructure needs and supply chain opportunities.
• Strengthening understanding of the local supply chain through mapping activity and engagement with local businesses.
• Progressing coordinated delivery through key forums, including the Shetland Power Systems Working Group that coordinates discussion on the operation and future development of Shetland's electricity system.
• Establishing the Future Legacy Housing Forum, which brings together housing, public sector and industry partners to maximise the long-term housing benefits arising from major infrastructure and energy projects in Shetland.
• Strengthening collaboration across partners to align energy developments with supply chain, housing, skills and wider enabling infrastructure.

Next steps will focus on progressing the Shetland Development Charter, building on engagement with developers, and progressing a more strategic approach to workforce accommodation and legacy housing. This includes exploring opportunities to link project related accommodation to longer term housing outcomes, and potential to support a future property development legacy, ensuring that investment associated with major developments contributes to sustainable long-term benefits. Delivery will continue to operate in a context of project uncertainty, infrastructure constraints, and community sentiment, with a focus on ensuring that opportunities for inclusive growth are maximised for Shetland.