Great British Energy (GBE) is a publicly owned clean energy company created by the UK government. It is wholly owned by the Crown but operationally independent, and it works alongside the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. It is not an energy supplier: it does not sell electricity or gas to households.
Legal basis and headquarters
The Great British Energy Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 15 May 2025. It lets the Secretary of State designate a Crown-owned company limited by shares as Great British Energy, sets out what the company is for, and allows the government to give it financial assistance, including grants, loans and guarantees. The Secretary of State must also publish a statement of strategic priorities for the company.
GBE’s headquarters are in Aberdeen, with further sites planned in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
What it does
The Act’s objects include encouraging and taking part in clean energy production, distribution, storage and supply, improving energy efficiency and strengthening energy security. In practice the government has described the following roles:
| Area | Examples |
|---|---|
| Projects | Developing, investing in, owning and operating clean energy projects |
| Local and community energy | Rooftop solar for schools, hospitals and community buildings |
| Supply chains | Investing in UK manufacturing for clean energy |
| Nuclear | A sister body, Great British Energy – Nuclear, runs the nuclear programme, including small modular reactors |
Funding
The government says Great British Energy and Great British Energy – Nuclear together will invest more than £8.3 billion over this Parliament. Because that figure covers nuclear too, not all of it goes to renewables.
Read more: Green energy investment explained: where the money goes and the risks.