Community Wealth Fund

Glen Earrach Energy has confirmed it will allocate 5% of the gross margin from its proposed pumped storage hydro scheme close to Loch Ness into a Community Wealth Fund.

 

This commitment is expected to deliver over £20 million annually to support long-term investment in Highland communities throughout the project’s lifetime. 

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The Community Wealth Fund will be the largest of its kind anywhere in the UK energy sector. We believe that infrastructure underpinned by the water, land and infrastructure in and around Loch Ness must deliver long-term value for the communities which surround it. 

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Over the past year, we’ve listened carefully. Since April 2024, we’ve engaged extensively with local residents and regional organisations to understand what this fund should look like and what matters most to the communities whose natural resources will underpin the project. 

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We’ve held public events across the region, run a public community consultation and hosted roundtables with community organisations and experts. That work has shaped the Community Wealth Fund Report we’ve published — setting out the principles, priorities and next steps for the fund’s development. 

 

What we’ve heard 

 

Consultation participants identified a wide range of priorities. Housing, infrastructure, jobs and local enterprise emerged as top themes, alongside environmental projects, wellbeing, and digital and transport connectivity. People also made clear that funding must be grounded in local knowledge, governed independently, and transparent at every stage. 

 

What we’re doing 

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This report — Building the Glen Earrach Energy Community Wealth Fund — sets the direction of travel. It confirms our 5% commitment and outlines the governance and delivery themes raised during consultation. The fund will be structured to deliver value now and for the long term by supporting both near-term community needs and intergenerational investment. 

 

We will now move into the next phase of development. That includes shaping a legal model that reflects Scottish law and community wealth building principles, designing a construction-period allocation, and continuing to work with delivery partners and local community councils to ensure the fund reflects the region it is rooted in. 

 

This work is only possible because of the time, thought and ambition shared with us by the people who know this region best. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far. 

 

Read the full Community Wealth Fund Report below, or click here.