Public buildings across Greater Manchester will be upgraded with solar panels, battery storage, and EV chargers with the help of new funding from Great British Energy.
The £695,000 funding boost will enable a wide range of clean energy upgrades at key public and community sites across Greater Manchester, from libraries and leisure centres to emergency service buildings.
These improvements will help cut carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and reduce long-term running costs for essential local services.
Greater Manchester is one of several Mayoral Combined Authorities across England to benefit from the funding, which forms part of a £10 million national package launched by Great British Energy and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The programme is expected to help public facilities collectively save around £35 million on energy bills over the lifetime of the projects.
The investment also helps deliver Greater Manchester’s work to make our communities and infrastructure more resilient to climate change.
Our city region has already taken practical steps towards our target of reaching net zero by 2038 – 12 years ahead of national targets – by investing £120 million in retrofitting 225 schools, leisure centres, and public buildings, leading a shift to clean green energy.
Our five-year environment plan sets out how we’ll aim to hit our 2038 target, addressing not only challenges and risks but opportunities too, while also halting and reversing biodiversity loss.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:
“This funding is a welcome boost to our efforts to build a greener, fairer future for Greater Manchester. By installing solar panels and battery storage across our public buildings, we can lower energy bills, cut emissions and make sure more of our power is generated right here in our communities.
“It directly supports our long-term pledges to create a low-carbon, resilient city region, showing how national investment can help us turn ambition into action at a local level. We’re pleased to be part of this national push led by Great British Energy, which will help city regions like ours lead the way in the clean energy transition.”
The upgrades are scheduled to begin in the 2025/26 financial year and are designed to support the UK’s broader climate commitments while delivering direct benefits to local residents through more efficient, lower-cost public services.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
“Your local sports hall, library and community centre could have their energy bills cut by Great British Energy, the government’s publicly-owned clean energy company.
“Our plans will mean more money can be spent on the services that make working people better off and help strengthen the ties that bind us in our communities.
“This is what Great British Energy is all about – taking back control to deliver lower bills for good.”
Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Lead for Green City-Region, added:
“This is exactly the kind of investment we need to unlock practical, place-based climate action. By targeting community and frontline service buildings, this funding will deliver real impact where it matters most, helping to reduce bills, cut carbon and reinvest savings back into essential services for our residents.
“It’s a strong example of how local and national government can work together to address the climate crisis with practical, cost-effective solutions.”
