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Great British Energy (GBE) projects its investments will foster the creation of at least 10,000 jobs over the next five years, with a specific focus on regions historically reliant on the oil and gas sectors.
The UK government established this publicly-owned entity, tasking it with deploying billions in capital to expedite the nation’s transition to green energy sources.
GBE aims to position this transition as “the great economic opportunity of a lifetime,” rather than a purely financial burden.
Nevertheless, concerns have been raised regarding whether the rate of job creation can effectively offset the losses incurred within the fossil fuel industries.
A Robert Gordon University study estimates that approximately one thousand jobs per month are being eliminated in the oil and gas sector, potentially creating a significant disparity with the 10,000 jobs being supported by GBE’s investments.
While GBE has yet to formally announce its future workforce structure in Aberdeen, it disclosed last month that only 15 employees are currently stationed there.
Establishing a headquarters in Aberdeen was a keystone commitment made by the Labour Party during the 2024 general election campaign.
The organization is still in the process of securing premises for its headquarters, and a comprehensive workforce plan is under development.
However, its strategic plan, due to be published on Thursday, designates Aberdeen as its “corporate backbone” and stipulates that “the majority” of employees will be based there.
GBE also intends to explore the feasibility of establishing “satellite” offices in other locations throughout Scotland.
The strategic plan outlines GBE’s priorities for the upcoming five-year period.
It commits to achieving a minimum of 15 gigawatts of clean energy generation and storage capacity by 2030.
Furthermore, GBE plans to develop a “toolkit” designed to encourage greater community ownership of renewable energy projects, enabling the reinvestment of profits or savings into local communities.
By supporting community energy endeavors and broadening public participation, GBE hopes to foster the creation of 1,000 local jobs.
GBE chief executive Dan McGrail stated, “We are proud to be putting public ownership to work, unlocking investment, powering communities, creating jobs, and building an energy system that delivers for the UK.”
“This strategic plan marks a major milestone in our mission to accelerate clean energy and the industries that support it.”
The plan also details the ambition to invest sufficient public funds by 2030 to catalyze £15bn in private finance over the longer term.
GBE also seeks to leverage public land for wind and solar projects, which would then generate income for local communities.
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