Harrogate and Wetherby to benefit from £6.5m investment into green electricity infrastructure

As part of the national Green Recovery Scheme, £11.5m will go towards large-scale solar generation schemes, rapid electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the development of the areas at Scotch Corner junction and Wetherby The funding will be broken down into £5m for Wetherby and £6.5m for Scotch Corner.

Harrogate will receive £1.5m towards town and city upgrades that may support more electric bus use, EV charging or other future net zero needs.

The Green Recovery Scheme saw up to £300m made available for investment across the country, including a total of £53m for 14 different projects in the north.

The initiative will help fast-track future developments that help with the response to the climate emergency by supporting decarbonisation, as well as boost economic activity to bring forward more green jobs and support the area in clean energy growth.

The upgrades will all be carried out within the next two years.

The 14 projects were all put forward for the scheme by Northern Powergrid, the electricity network operator for Yorkshire, after collecting evidence from local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, businesses and developers.

“We play a critical role powering the everyday lives of the communities we serve. Electricity is one of the most important building blocks for economic growth. In the coming years our reliance on electricity will increase as we turn to electricity to heat our homes and power our cars. As more projects and plans come forward to proactively tackle the climate emergency, they will bring with them the jobs of the future for not only ourselves, but our children and grandchildren and we will play our part in making our future clean, green and prosperous.

“Confirmation of this £53m investment across all 14 projects we proposed is a great boost for the region and could not have happened without the informed input of all those who had their say in where these upgrades are needed most. This collaborative effort will positively impact the region and improve its prospects."

In addition to the 14 projects in the Northern Powergrid area, investment has been awarded up and down the country so that all areas of the UK benefit. This investment will enable a significant number of projects including electric flight, shipping, heating and transport to come forward faster. The funding has been sourced from network operators’ existing allowances thanks to cost savings.

Sites not on the list for early investment may still be supported during Northern Powergrid’s next business plan period, which runs from 2023 to 2028.