Issued by: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and Great British Energy

Great British Energy backs renewable schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

• Additional £12 million funding for devolved governments from Great British Energy

• Local energy projects allow communities to reap the benefits of clean power, including lower bills

• Great British Energy to back over 1,000 local and community energy projects over next 5 years

Communities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will see a funding boost for local renewable projects from publicly owned company Great British Energy.

After announcing it will back over 1,000 local and community energy projects over the next five years, the company has increased renewable funding for the UK’s devolved nations by £12 million to over £21 million.

It follows an initial pledge of £9.3 million [https://tinyurl.com/2wn5p76u] for the devolved governments to use for renewable energy schemes and solar panels on public sector buildings.

The Scottish Government is receiving a further £5.5 million from Great British Energy and is today announcing 23 new projects, partially backed by both the new funding and Scottish Government investment. Together they will have offered funding to 71 community projects across Scotland this year – from a community solar farm on the Isle of Arran to wind farms in Aberdeenshire.

Meanwhile Great British Energy is backing the Welsh Government with an additional £6.6 million, with more than £2.8 million announced in March, to fund solar panels for schools, leisure centres and museums across Wales, as well as supporting the Welsh Government’s new Ymestyn scheme that will help public sector and communities to complete projects such as solar canopies and battery energy storage.

And in Northern Ireland Great British Energy will help the Further Education Colleges to benefit from clean energy, through installation of Solar PV at a number of sites.

UK Government Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said:

"Great British Energy is empowering communities in every nation of the UK to take a stake in their own energy.

"This is our clean energy superpower mission in action – putting communities in the driving seat of energy generation and making sure working people and local businesses profit."

Great British Energy CEO, Dan McGrail, said:

"Communities are at the heart of our clean energy future. By increasing our support for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Great British Energy is ensuring that communities benefit directly from the transition to renewables – through lower bills and greater energy security.

"This funding will help unlock hundreds of projects that will not only provide clean energy to communities but also help accelerate our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower."

Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies, said:

"We are driving towards a net zero public sector by 2030, and this funding will help us get even closer.

"Thanks to this funding, organisations across Wales will see their energy bills falling in a matter of months."

Climate Action and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said:

"Community-led energy projects are at the heart of Scotland’s journey to net zero. By empowering local groups to generate their own clean energy with local solutions, we are not only cutting emissions but also reducing costs and creating resilient communities. These projects show what can be achieved when people come together with a shared vision for a sustainable future.

"This funding is giving communities the tools and confidence to take control of their own energy needs, keep money circulating locally, and build a fairer, greener economy.

"Scotland’s transition to net zero must be inclusive and fair, and community energy is a vital part of ensuring that everyone benefits from the opportunities of a clean energy future."

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:

"Wales is at the centre of the UK’s clean energy industry which is already delivering the well-paid, highly-skilled jobs of the future.

"This funding from GB Energy, which includes solar panels in public buildings across Wales, will bring lower bills as well as help our drive towards energy security."

The funding marks progress in Great British Energy and government’s Local Power Plan that will ensure the benefits of the government’s clean power mission are felt at a local level across the UK, with energy security, good jobs and economic growth – while also helping to rebuild the nation’s public services.

It follows a £255 million investment to roll out solar panels for 260 NHS sites and over 250 schools as well as military sites in England, helping to cut bills for frontline services, as well as £10 million in grant funding for England’s Mayoral Strategic Authorities to deliver local clean energy projects, announced earlier this year [https://tinyurl.com/3b4bbtt3].

Last week Great British Energy set out plans [https://www.gbe.gov.uk/blog/accelerating-uks-clean-energy-future] for how the publicly-owned company, head-quartered in Aberdeen, will deliver on the government’s clean energy superpower mission in every corner of the UK. This includes including delivering 15 GW of clean energy generation and storage as well as mobilising £15 billion of private finance to take back control of Britain’s energy supply and protect billpayers from global fossil fuel price spikes.

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