In September Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that new state-owned energy company Great British Energy would be based in Aberdeen. GILES BROWN asked Cumbrian business people what would be top of their list for the organisation.

Phil Redfern, REACT Engineering

Top of my Cumbrian wishlist for the newly formed GB Energy would be that the policies and strategies which it goes on to implement result in some tangible benefits for Cumbrian businesses and communities in terms of; employment opportunities, skills development, improved public services and local infrastructure.

Enabling private sector investment into a decentralised and decarbonised energy infrastructure presents a great opportunity for Cumbria. Organisations based in the industrialised areas of our county, from Carlisle in the north, down the west coast to Barrow, have a wealth of engineering, manufacturing and project delivery know-how, which could be invaluable in supporting GB Energy and industry partners to achieve their objectives in making the UK a ‘clean energy powerhouse’.

Cumbria has been at the forefront of technological and societal innovation since pre-industrialisation, it would be fantastic to see that heritage built upon in helping the UK address climate change and energy security challenges.

Tom Samson, Onunda

I would like to see GB Energy drive forward with a fresh sense of purpose and urgency to address the ever-growing energy security issues facing our country. Inevitably that must include new nuclear in Cumbria at the top of that agenda.

GB Energy must prioritise and accelerate decisions which will deliver opportunity and growth in Cumbria now, an area with an abundance of talent and experience and strong, supportive communities with a proven track record of delivering excellence for this country within the nuclear industry.

Also, with Jurgen Maier’s experience in the Northern Powerhouse project, the GB Energy CEO can hopefully ensure investment decisions are tied to maximising local jobs, a commitment to domestic manufacturing and choices which will create huge export opportunities - only then will we be able to create sustainable industries at home as part of the energy transition.

Kurt Canfield, Delkia 

I support the overall objective of Great British Energy to ensure that as a nation we can create British power for British people, as this will improve the security and resilience of the country, grow our economy and drive job creation through our clean energy offer.

Delkia, working in high energy usage sectors such as manufacturing and process, are highly affected by energy costs.

We would advocate for subsidies or tax breaks for transitioning to greener energy sources, and for fixed or capped energy rates for businesses, particularly small ones, to shield them from market fluctuations.

Given Cumbria's mix of rural and industrial areas, reliable energy storage and distribution solutions are critical.

At Delkia we would like to see investment in local microgrids and energy storage solutions that can provide a stable power supply during peak times or outages.

(Image: Paul Foster)

Paul Foster, Community Nuclear Power

A vision.

We understand the intent of GBE, but not its processes, procedures and policies. 
It has been created to be an enabler, a potential investor and a champion of energy projects; but we’ve no details as to how it will work. 
How will it prioritise?  How will it interact with other bodies (like NDA or GBN)?  Which energy sources does it prefer?

We must be ready with projects that are ready to go, easy to support and, more importantly, align with the vision that Cumbria has for itself. The days of waiting for HMG to choose us should be over, we need to control our own destiny.

There is an increasing demand for clean energy; the regions that possess energy will attract investment from other sectors (hydrogen, chemicals, data). This is an opportunity to diversify our economy using energy as the catalyst. 

We need to be ready.