- Great British Energy to build clean power in every part of the country, with a new £10 million partnership with metro mayors
- local people will see the benefits of homegrown clean power, greater energy security investment, and good jobs as part of government’s Plan for Change
- profits can be reinvested in the community or knock money off people’s energy bills
The metro mayors will lead the creation of innovative new clean power projects across the country, including rooftop solar, onshore wind and hydropower, with Great British Energy injecting £10 million into new partnerships.
Great British Energy will work with mayoral strategic authorities across England to build new clean energy projects in communities, with profits knocking money off locals’ energy bills or being reinvested into the community. The funding will help stimulate investment and create good jobs across the country as part of the government’s Plan for Change to deliver clean power by 2030.
Each mayoral strategic authority in England will be invited to apply for a share of the funding, as part of Great British Energy’s plans to back local energy projects across the UK so communities can reap the benefits.
Existing local energy projects are already benefiting communities, and this funding will help projects go further and faster to unlock clean, homegrown power. For example, the Solar Together Consortium that aims to deliver 240 MW of solar capacity across the West Midlands or the solar and battery storage initiative being run by West Yorkshire mayoral combined authority – aiming to deliver 1,500 solar PV and battery storage installations on social housing properties across the region, reducing bills for the residents and helping to tackle fuel poverty.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said
Taking back control of our energy means not only building more solar panels and wind turbines – it also means giving our communities a stake in their own energy supply.
We’re backing our metro mayors to bid for a share of £10 million and work with our new publicly owned company Great British Energy to roll out more clean, homegrown power.
This could see profits invested back into vital community services and projects, or even money knocked off community buildings bills, giving local services more pounds in their pockets.
Great British Energy Chair Juergen Maier said
This is the first step in Great British Energy’s work with local communities to help them generate their own energy.
Partnering with mayoral authorities will make an immediate impact as we work to roll out clean, homegrown energy projects, crowd in investment and create job opportunities across the country.
We will work closely with communities to deliver projects that provide a lasting positive impact for the county – both in delivering opportunities and a cleaner future for the UK.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said
Greater Manchester is already powering ahead with plans to capture the benefits and the opportunities of green growth.
Our Go Neutral programme is delivering millions of pounds of investment in local renewable energy, generating enough to power 5,500 homes, and we’re supporting schools in our city-region to install solar cells and help cut bills.
We’re ready to work with Great British Energy to take these plans to the next level, so we can boost local projects that will help bring down costs and power more of our network with homegrown energy.
It comes as hundreds of schools, hospitals and communities across the UK get new rooftop solar power and renewable projects to save money on their energy bills, thanks to a further £200 million investment from the UK government and Great British Energy. This includes nearly £12 million for local authorities and community energy groups.
The funding will support the government’s clean power mission as well as helping to rebuild the nation’s public services. It forms Great British Energy’s first local investment, kickstarting the Local Power Plan and ensuring the benefits of this national mission are felt at a local level, with energy security, good jobs and economic growth.
Backed by £8.3 billion over this Parliament, Great British Energy will own and invest in clean energy projects across the UK. This will range from supporting community energy – like the local authority and solar schemes announced today – to unlocking significant investment in major clean energy projects that will revitalise the UK’s industrial heartlands with new jobs, alongside securing Britain’s energy supply.
Notes to editors
Funding will be awarded to projects that can be delivered in the next year, to make an impact as quickly as possible.
