Local Net Zero Hubs to support GB Energy in Clean Energy 2030 mission
As part of a series of announcements made today (Friday March 21st 2025) the government has confirmed funding for the national network of Local Net Zero Hubs has been extended to support Great British Energy with the development of local clean power projects.
The government has also announced a new round of the Great British Energy Community Fund = managed locally by the Net Zero Hubs, which builds on the previous Community Energy Fund
A new Memorandum of Understanding is set to give the Hubs the explicit mission of assisting the new publicly owned energy company with identifying and developing the clean energy generating projects which will deliver the government’s Clean Energy 2030 ambition and supporting the implementation of the forthcoming Warm Homes plan.
The announcement states:
The government is providing £6.8 million for existing Local Net Zero Hubs located across England, which offer a free to use service for local authorities to access the expertise and resource to get clean energy projects up and running, helping to pave the way for more community energy projects.
The Hubs’ objectives will continue to include:
- Attracting commercial investment into low carbon projects.
- Increasing the number, quality, and scale of local net zero projects being delivered across their regions, including supporting the early-stage development and delivery of projects.
- Supporting a national knowledge transfer programme to inspire and inform local projects.
Karen Oliver-Spry, North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Net Zero Hub, said:
“The value of a place-based approach to meeting the Clean Energy 2030 mission is well recognised and will be embedded in the work of GB Energy.
“The work of the Hubs is entirely complementary to the mission of GB Energy and this gives them a mandate to continue to work with local areas and the communities they serve to build a pipeline of clean energy projects and provide the capacity and capability to develop them from ideas to investable propositions.
“This is a real vote of confidence in the work of the Local Net Zero Hubs who look forward to working with local partners to deliver on one of the government’s key national priorities, in particular with a renewed focus on scaling up proven energy generation technologies.”
The Local Net Zero Hubs are a national network of local partnerships, directed and funded by government to support local authorities and the communities they serve with the development of energy projects.
The North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub is a partnership of the Combined Authorities of the North East, Tees Valley, York and North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Hull and East Yorkshire.
Other announcements made by the government today include:
- A new round of the Great British Energy Community Fund, previously known as the Community Energy Fund – which is managed locally by the Local Net Zero Hubs. £5m of funding nationally will be made available to town and parish councils, community organisations, sports teams, charities and faith groups – helping to generate energy closer to where it is used and which local people benefit from.
- A £10m Mayoral Renewables Fund, allowing Mayoral Combined Authorities to put forward clean energy projects that could begin this year with up to £700,000 of funding.
- Funding for roof-top solar installations on 200 schools and 200 hospitals through a scheme called Great British Solar. North East and Yorkshire NHS Trusts to receive funding include:
- Bradford
- Doncaster
- Hull
- Mid-Yorkshire
- North East Ambulance Service
- Sheffield
- South West Yorkshire
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valley
- Newcastle Upon Tyne
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service
Details relating to the next round of Great British Energy Community Fund will be published in due course.
