Communities across Northern Ireland, alongside those in Scotland and Wales, are set to receive a significant funding increase for local renewable energy projects from the publicly-owned company, Great British Energy (GB Energy).

GB Energy has committed to supporting over 1,000 community and local energy projects across the UK over the next five years. The company has boosted its dedicated funding for the UK’s devolved nations by £12 million, raising the total committed to over £21 million. This increase builds on an initial pledge of £9.3 million.

In Northern Ireland, the funding from Great British Energy will be utilised to support Further Education Colleges. This will enable the installation of Solar PV technology across a number of their sites, helping these key public sector institutions benefit from clean energy generation.

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UK Government Minister for Energy Michael Shanks affirmed the cross-nation commitment: "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."

The additional funding is part of the government’s Local Power Plan, designed to ensure that the benefits of the clean power mission—including local economic growth and energy security—are felt across the UK.

Dan McGrail, CEO of Great British Energy, emphasised the broad impact: "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."

The announcement follows GB Energy's recent commitment to delivering 15 GW of clean energy generation and storage, as well as mobilising £15 billion of private finance, to reinforce Britain's energy supply and protect consumers from global fossil fuel price volatility.