Great British Energy has more than doubled funding for local renewable projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, by committing an additional GBP 12 million ($16 million) of investment. The cash injection from the UK government-owned energy company brings the total funding for the United Kingdom’s devolved nations to more than GBP 21 million.
The Scottish government is receiving a further GBP 5.5 million from Great British Energy and is announcing 23 new projects partially backed by the funding and investment from its own budget. This brings the total number of Scottish community projects offered funding to 71, ranging from a community solar farm on the Isle of Arran to wind farms in Scotland’s northeast
In Wales, Great British Energy will commit an additional GBP 6.6 million. This is on top of the GBP 2.8 million announced in March 2025 to fund solar panels for schools, leisure centers and museums across Wales, as well as supporting a Welsh government scheme designed to aid public sector and community energy upgrades, such as solar canopies and battery energy storage projects.
In Northern Ireland, new funding will be provided to further education colleges to support PV installation.
UK renewables supply chain manufacturers are also in line for a cash injection. Great British Energy has committed GBP 1 billion to its Energy Engineered in the UK (EEUK) program which will be used to mobilize public and private investment in renewables supply chains.
The investment program will launch with a GBP 300 million investment in offshore wind and networks. While much of this funding will support wind industry supply chains, manufacturers working on key electricity network components will also be eligible to apply. Critical components on GBE’s list for the fund include high voltage direct current (HVDC) and high voltage alternating current (HVAC) cables, power transformers, HVDC converter stations, switchgear, and reactive power management and control systems.
Great British Energy said it will regularly review its critical components list. The application window for funding will run for an initial 12-month period or until the fund’s budget is fully allocated. Funding must be drawn down during the delivery period of April 2026 to March 2030.
Funding to support British small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) making energy efficiency improvements has also been increased by the UK government. An additional GBP 2 million has been made available through the Made Smarter Adoption Programme to support improvements that can reduce energy bills, such as installing solar or upgrades to heating and insulation.
The increase to small business energy efficiency funding follows an independent government-backed report that found 67% of SMEs who adopted sustainable practices, such as installing solar panels or selling energy back to the grid, reported reduced operational costs.
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