UK government鈥檚 new 拢200 million renewable energy initiative will provide solar panels to schools and NHS sites, aiming to reduce public sector energy bills. The announcement comes as Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch signals a retreat from the Conservative鈥檚 previous support for the cross-party commitment to net zero by 2050
The UK government has announced its first major project for Great British Energy, aimed at reducing energy bills for public services through the installation of solar panels on schools and NHS sites across England.
The 拢200 million initiative is part of the government鈥檚 attempts to alleviate the financial strain caused by rising energy costs on public services. Around 200 schools and 200 NHS sites across the UK will see rooftop solar panels installed, with the government promising millions of pounds of savings over the next 30 years.
The solar panels will be installed by the end of summer 2025. The programme is allocating 拢80 million for solar panel installations at schools, with a further 拢100 million directed towards NHS sites.
The aspiration is that schools and hospitals will also be able to sell surplus energy back to the grid. The government claims the initiative could deliver up to 拢400 million in lifetime savings.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: 鈥淭his is our clean energy superpower mission in action, with lower bills and energy security for our country.鈥�
Juergen Maier, chair of Great British Energy, said the scheme marked 鈥渢he first step in Great British Energy鈥檚 work with local communities to help them generate their own energy.鈥� He added that partnering with the public sector would help 鈥渃rowd in investment and create job opportunities across the country鈥� as the company works to scale up future projects.
In addition to the core solar scheme, nearly 拢12 million will support local authority and community-led clean energy projects, including onshore wind, hydropower and rooftop solar. A further 拢9.3 million will fund similar initiatives in devolved nations.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 鈥淭his investment will not only cut energy bills for schools but also help young people develop the green skills they need for the jobs of the future.鈥�
Design Council chief executive Minnie Moll welcomed the announcement, saying: 鈥淭his announcement is a significant opportunity to combine the power of clean energy innovation with inclusive and sustainable design that supports the long-term resilience of our schools, hospitals and communities.鈥�
But shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie criticised the government鈥檚 net zero strategy, claiming it would leave the UK 鈥減oorer鈥�.
The announcement came in the same week that Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, in a policy review, signalled an end to the UK鈥檚 commitment to achieving net zero by 2050. Badenoch claimed that the target is 鈥渋mpossible鈥� and stated that current policies are failing to deliver on climate goals while driving up energy costs.
Her decision to abandon the net zero commitment represents a break from the cross-party consensus that had guided UK climate policy since 2019, when the net zero target was enshrined in law under Theresa May鈥檚 government.
Badenoch reinforced the shift by describing the UK鈥檚 existing climate strategy as 鈥渇antasy politics, built on nothing, promising the Earth鈥�. Her comments were seen by some as aligning with the Trump administration鈥檚 policies in the US, where the federal government is engaged in a wide-ranging effort to roll back environental standards and regulation.
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