This project, delivered as part of the South East Scotland City Region Deal (CRD), brought together six local authorities across SE Scotland to explore a more coordinated approach to energy investment and delivery. Working with City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian, Scene supported the project lead – Living Places – to deliver a programme aimed to align diverse local priorities under shared energy and net zero objectives.
A key challenge was translating varied local contexts, including balancing urban and rural geographies, differing infrastructure readiness, and distinct political and community priorities, into a cohesive regional investment narrative. Rather than purely producing an investment prospectus, the project evolved into defining a coordinated funding and delivery ask, recognising that securing viable delivery mechanisms is as critical as identifying investable opportunities.
The work highlighted that energy projects - particularly retrofit delivery, innovation funding, heat networks, renewables and storage - naturally span administrative boundaries, requiring regional coordination to unlock scale, reduce risk and attract investment. By structuring projects into a shared pipeline, the study creates a more compelling and credible investment need and ask.
The report sought to define a strategic shift, from fragmented project development and investment to a coordinated cross-boundary funding and delivery model. This approach could strengthen the case for public funding, supports market confidence, and enables long-term, scalable delivery of net zero infrastructure across the region.