Greater Brighton is today launching an ambitious vision for zero carbon energy in Sussex – a first for the region.
Sussex Energy will directly contribute to government priorities to transition to a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030.
It will support national initiatives such as the creation of GB Energy and UK-wide scaling up of solar panels for homes and businesses.
The aim is to achieve net zero energy status in the Greater Brighton and wider Sussex area by 2040. The challenge is to produce as much energy as is used by reducing energy demand and increasing the local supply of zero carbon energy.
As with the rest of the UK, households and businesses in the region have experienced huge energy price rises for electricity and gas. It has put thousands of people into fuel poverty, unable to heat their homes to a temperature needed to keep warm and healthy.
Transferring to locally generated, zero carbon forms of energy will bring about significant economic and social benefits. It will increase energy security by reducing reliance on imported energy while addressing one of the most pressing aspects of the climate emergency.
Developing energy efficiency measures such as insulation and infrastructure like district heating networks will result in lower bills and the creation of new jobs.
At the moment most of the region’s energy is imported and reliant on fossil fuels. The current energy demand for Sussex is 14 times more than the current supply from zero carbon sources. Sussex Energy will support the region to scale up ambition and activity.
Councillor Bella Sankey, chair of the Greater Brighton Economic Board, said: “Our communities have faced the biggest cost of living crisis in living memory, made worse by soaring energy costs. Creating a zero carbon, affordable and resilient energy system is one of our biggest challenges, but we have a unique opportunity to use our collective power and expertise to drive this change across the region.
“We have designed Sussex Energy as a mission to drive collaboration and reflect the new, more joined up way of doing government, pushing power out to communities.
“We are confident that with the government’s support, Sussex can become a beacon of sustainable development and zero-carbon energy production, creating jobs and driving economic growth.”
Ambitious projects already underway in the region include the Worthing Heat Network (WHN) which leveraged £300m of private investment through a £7 m government grant.
Greater Brighton’s track record on energy projects include:
• Hydrogen Sussex, supporting and facilitating the hydrogen economy, putting the region at the forefront of the hydrogen fuel revolution – this includes the world’s first clay bricks made with 100% hydrogen power in mid-Sussex
• Ambitious projects to decarbonise heating through district heat networks in Worthing and Crawley
• Enabling the Newhaven business sector to become net-zero carbon by 2030, led by Lewes District Council
• A combined heat and power demonstrator plant with carbon negative footprint in West Sussex, led by engineering consultancy Ricardo
• A Greater Brighton task force, led by Lewes District Council, to ensure the city region’s homes and buildings are fit for a zero-carbon future
Sussex Energy will set up four working groups to develop a pipeline of projects and funding models for energy efficiency, local energy infrastructure, jobs and skills.
They will bring together industry experts, stakeholders and new partners. Projects will include public-private partnerships and community-based financing to ensure local people benefit directly.
The Greater Brighton Economic Board will provide £100,000 for the working groups.
The Greater Brighton Economic Board is launching Sussex Energy at their board meeting on 16 July at Crawley College.