Great British Energy to roll out solar on military land, schools and hospitals, and more protections for clean energy workers
Great British Energy solar
Communities across the country will benefit from extra investment in vital public services as more funding is confirmed for Great British Energy solar panels.
Multiple military sites, around 50 more schools and over 70 further NHS sites will save money on their energy bills thanks to up to £75 million in funding from Great British Energy.
Hospitals and schools across England are already cutting their energy bills thanks to a £180 million investment from Great British Energy and government announced in March.
In total the expanded scheme will be worth up to £255 million, supporting around 250 schools, over 270 NHS sites and around 15 military sites across the country.
This includes a new partnership between Great British Energy and the Ministry of Defence which will see technologies such as solar panels and micro-wind turbines deployed across a range of military sites, including remote training ground and equipment stations, allowing energy bill savings to be redirected towards vital defence spending.
The NHS sites set to benefit from lower energy bills will include large acute teaching hospitals, community hospitals and mental health and learning disability facilities.
Clean energy job protections
Later this month the Clean Energy Jobs Plan will set out how UK workers will benefit from hundreds of thousands of new clean energy jobs across the country.
The Energy Secretary today announced plans to ensure that clean energy jobs are always good jobs, with action to close loopholes that give offshore renewable energy workers fewer rights at work than oil and gas workers - including some who are not currently covered by the national minimum wage.
This plan will include newly mandated worker representation on boards of publicly owned bodies like Great British Energy.
Meanwhile a new Fair Work Charter will be introduced to ensure companies benefitting from public funding through the successful Clean Industry Bonus are ensuring their workers receive a decent wage and the very best rights at work.
Negotiations over the charter are ongoing with offshore wind developers, and are expected to cover things like pay and benefits, worker voice, employment terms and job security, among a range of areas designed to ensure public support for clean energy improves the quality of jobs in the sector.
Fracking
The Energy Secretary also confirmed plans to bring forward legislation to end new onshore oil and gas licensing in England, including new licences that could be used for fracking. This will help make Britain a clean energy superpower to protect current and future generations.
