Brighton and Hove is exploring a Strategic Energy Partnership to accelerate investment in its £2.6 billion decarbonisation programme. The partnership model aims to aggregate a diverse range of projects, attract private investment, reduce transaction costs, and accelerate delivery while generating social value through local supply chains, community funds, and support for the city’s energy ecosystem. Successful implementation depends on strong contract design and public sector expertise, as well as ensuring that community energy initiatives are not crowded out by commercial interests.
Brighton and Hove is currently conducting Preliminary Market Engagement to test the feasibility of this model. The decarbonisation programme covers retrofitting domestic and non-domestic buildings, establishing district heat networks, rolling out rooftop solar, and expanding EV charging infrastructure. The Council envisions a framework partnership where strategic control remains with the city, while partners share profits and contribute to community value, particularly through local supply chain development.
Bristol City Leap provides a relevant precedent. Prior to 2018, Bristol City Council delivered decarbonisation projects with its own energy service team, but scale and pace were limited by available budget. In 2018, the City Leap prospectus was developed, attracting widespread market interest. The eventual partnership involved a long-term joint-venture concession agreement, transferring BCC’s energy service team to the new entity, selling the district heating network, and awarding strategic operational control to the joint venture, while sharing risk and reward.
Key features of Bristol City Leap included a £424 million investment in the first five years and nearly £1 billion over 20 years, the sale of the heat network at cost, Local Development Orders and mandatory connections to create a captive market, and a “first refusal” mechanism giving the consortium priority on Council projects. A social value framework ensured that less profitable projects delivered community benefits, and 14.4% of the initial investment supported local suppliers and community energy initiatives.
Lessons from Bristol emphasize the importance of scale in attracting serious bidders, robust contract management to avoid common pitfalls of public-private partnerships, and careful integration of community energy to prevent crowding out. While Bristol’s approach worked in its specific context, Brighton and Hove must adapt the model to local conditions, assets, and community energy capacity. Aggregating projects, generating social value, designing strong contracts, securing experienced partners, and supporting local energy actors are critical for success.
In summary, Brighton and Hove can benefit from the Bristol experience by leveraging a strategic energy partnership to accelerate decarbonisation while maximizing social value, maintaining strategic oversight, and ensuring local community energy groups remain integral to the city’s energy transition.
