Tag: GB Energy

GB Energy collaborative agreement

Holyrood’s Acting Energy Secretary Gillian Martin and UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband today signed a collaborative agreement on partnership between GB Energy and Scottish public bodies.

This aims to ensure that GB Energy maximises investment in Scotland:

Collaborative agreement between the Scottish Government and UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 

Vision

The Scottish Government and DESNZ have a shared objective in ensuring that Great British Energy (GBE) is set up to deliver effectively and maximise the benefits of its activities in Scotland.

Our joint objective is to secure investment in domestic priority supply chains and infrastructure to increase the pace of delivery of clean energy technologies, and maximise the economic benefits arising from this, including through creating jobs. GBE’s mission is to drive clean energy deployment, to create jobs, boost energy independence, and ensure UK taxpayers, billpayers and communities reap the benefits of clean, secure, home-grown energy, as set out in its Founding Statement. 

Developing partnerships with existing Scottish public bodies active within the clean energy sector – including Crown Estate Scotland, the Enterprise Agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank – is a way in which GBE can deliver quickly and effectively, avoid duplication, and deliver maximum impact and value for money from Scottish projects. Scotland already has a strong pipeline of clean energy and supply chain opportunities, and is at the forefront of floating offshore wind development.

DESNZ and the Scottish Government will therefore explore opportunities for GBE to partner with these Scottish public bodies, as well as the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). These partnerships will seek to deliver increased investment in the clean energy supply chain in Scotland and related areas of value, to support community and local energy, and to support parity between GBE’s activities in Scotland and those in the rest of the UK, recognising Scotland’s institutional landscape. The Scottish Government and DESNZ will continue to engage on areas of mutual interest as GBE’s activities and commercial models evolve to promote equivalent opportunities for Scottish public bodies, where organisations can work together to deliver joint objectives.

DESNZ and the Scottish Government will also explore how GBE’s activities support the delivery of priority supply chain and infrastructure development work already being undertaken in Scotland, and activity to support community and local energy in Scotland.

Our work will help ensure that GBE’s supply chain work aligns with and enhances these activities, thereby supporting accelerated deployment of the existing Scottish offshore wind pipeline and other clean energy projects.

This agreement makes no changes to the devolved or reserved competences of either party, and this agreement will operate consistently with the devolution settlement.

Potential activities in scope

The following are potential investment activities which could be supported through a partnership between GBE and the Scottish public bodies:

  • the clean energy supply chain, including ports infrastructure, manufacturing and construction activities
  • land to support these activities
  • services that support supply chain development, such as digital
  • community and local energy projects

The clean energy supply chain includes ports and harbours, wider clean energy infrastructure, manufacturing, fabrication and construction activities.

GBE will be operationally independent, with the ability to make decisions on its own activities, within the legal framework set out in the GBE Bill, and respecting the Scottish Ministers’ devolved competences.

Where there is any formal collaboration between the Scottish Government and DESNZ on supply chain and infrastructure investment activity, this will be developed and agreed on a case-by-case basis bringing in other delivery partners as required.

Nothing in this agreement should be construed as conflicting with the Scottish Ministers’ devolved powers and functions which take precedence over this statement. This agreement does not create legal obligations between the parties.

Westminster Government: How we’re ‘fixing the foundations’

We want to create wealth everywhere, but first we must fix the foundations of our country.

In the first few weeks of this Government, an audit found a £22 billion black hole in the public finances. It means we’ve had to take tough decisions, like means-testing the Winter Fuel Payment. Our Budget in October will be difficult.

But we have already taken action to improve the lives of working people in every corner of the country, from unlocking planning decisions to help build 1.5 million new homes to setting up Great British Energy, to create good jobs and provide clean energy to cut people’s bills in the long term.

Here are some of the things we are doing to fix the foundations of this country.

Setting up a new National Wealth Fund 

Growth is the number one priority of this government. That’s why we set up the National Wealth Fund. 

It is a publicly owned investment fund that will help attract investment into our country, stabilise our economy and create wealth for future generations.  

It will help unlock private investment into the UK by directly investing in new and growing industries, and help create thousands of jobs in clean energy industries.  

Accelerating housing planning 

We’re overhauling our housing system to meet the needs of working people and put communities first.  

Our plan will include introducing mandatory planning targets to aim to deliver on our ambition to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.  

The new targets will boost housebuilding in areas most in need, to help more people buy their own homes, and help drive growth – making everyone in the country better off. 

Putting passengers first  We’ll put our rail system back on track with new laws to deliver for passengers.  

They will improve the railways by reforming rail franchising, establishing Great British Railways and bringing train operators into public ownership. 

Protecting taxpayer money 

We’ll introduce legislation that makes sure nobody can play fast and loose with public finances. 

A new Bill will strengthen the role of the Office of Budget Responsibility, meaning significant fiscal announcements must be properly scrutinised and that taxpayers’ money is respected. 

Protecting workers’ rights  

We’ll improve workers’ rights with new legislation – a significant step towards delivering this Government’s plan to make work pay. 

We will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, end fire and rehire, and introduce basic employment rights from day one.  

And we’re changing the way the Minimum Wage is set so it keeps in line with the cost of living, in a move to put more money in working people’s pockets. 

Launching GB Energy  

Producing clean energy and creating good jobs will be our focus for the rest of the year. Great British Energy, a publicly owned, clean-energy company, will own, manage and operate clean power projects, such as wind farms, across the country.

 Great British Energy will be headquartered in Scotland and paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants. It will invest clean power projects across the United Kingdom, such as wind farms, which are the cheapest forms of electricity generation to build and operate.  

This will help make our country energy independent, tackle climate change and save families money. And investing in clean domestic power will create jobs and build supply chains in every corner of the UK.

Ian Murray underlines Westminster government mission for growth

The latest Scottish GDP stats were published yesterday here for the month of June and here for Q2 of 2024.

Responding to the latest figures, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “Scotland is critical in the UK Government’s mission for economic growth, as the Chancellor underlines today in Glasgow where she’ll meet with key members of the business community to turbocharge Scotland’s regeneration.

“Rebuilding is at the root of everything we do but the £22billion black hole in spending left by the previous government – the worst economic inheritance of any incoming government since the Second World War – means that tough decisions are ahead to achieve stability.

“We are making work pay, ensuring the national minimum wage is a true living wage. And with the end of exploitative zero-hours contracts, workers will have increased job security.

“Backed by £8.3bn of UK Government investment, Scottish-based GB Energy will bring jobs and opportunity for all parts of the UK and trade talks have resumed globally to forge stronger links with our international business partners.”

  • Scotland’s onshore GDP is estimated to have fallen by 0.3% in June. This follows growth of 0.2% in May.
  • In the three months to June (Quarter 2), GDP is estimated to have grown by 0.6% compared to the previous three month period (Quarter 1). This is a slight increase on the Quarter 1 growth rate of 0.5%.