Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the the Secretary of State for Education on the level of uptake of community energy projects in schools.

The first major project announced by Great British Energy (GBE) was a total £180 million investment from the UK government and GBE to install rooftop solar panels on schools and hospitals in England, which could see millions invested back into frontline services.

The Department for Education (DfE) is in the process of selecting around 200 schools, targeting deprived areas. 11 schools have already had panels installed under the scheme. The remaining schools set to benefit will be announced this summer, with all schools that are part of the scheme are expected to have solar panels installed by the end of the year.

As part of the GBE announcement in March on investment for devolved governments, £1.62 million was allocated to Northern Ireland. This will be used for renewable energy schemes which can be deployed either onto public sector buildings or to support new community or local renewables schemes.