Planning Consent Granted

Scottish & Southern Energy PLC
23 December 2003

            CONSENT GRANTED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF 130MW WIND FARM

The Scottish Executive has granted consent to Scottish and Southern Energy plc
(SSE) for the development of a 130MW wind farm at Hadyard Hill in South
Ayrshire. This is the largest on-shore wind energy development in the UK to have
received consent.

The Hadyard Hill development will require investment of £90 million and
construction work on the wind farm will start in 2004 and it should begin
generating electricity by the summer of 2005.

SSE has a total of 140MW of new wind energy capacity at three other sites in
Scotland in the planning process. The Scottish Executive is also considering
SSE's application to develop a 100MW hydro-electric scheme at Glendoe, near Loch
Ness. The outcome of these planning applications is expected to be known in the
first half of 2004.

Ian Marchant, Chief Executive of SSE, said: 'The Scottish Executive's decision
to grant consent for the Hadyard Hill development is a significant milestone in
our programme of investment in renewable energy. It is also an encouraging
example of the Ministry of Defence's willingness to engage with wind energy
developers and planning authorities to ensure that good wind farm developments
such as Hadyard Hill can take place.

I am optimistic that we will be able to add to this development consent in the
first few months of next year, and play our full part in meeting the UK
government's new target of generating 15% of electricity from renewable sources
by 2015.'


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange