Bristol’s transition to net zero is creating one of the city’s fastest‑growing and most strategically important sectors.
Around 450 clean‑energy and retrofit businesses operate in the city, supporting an estimated 12,000 jobs across engineering, renewable energy, heat networks, decarbonisation consultancy, and low‑carbon construction.
The sector spans highly skilled engineering and technical trades, from solar and heat‑pump installation to battery innovation, power systems and grid‑scale design.
Bristol City Leap — a long‑term partnership between the Council and private investors — is acting as a major market catalyst, accelerating investment in district heat networks, building retrofit and smart energy infrastructure, and creating sustained opportunities across delivery, finance and the supply chain.
Bristol is also pioneering new applications of clean energy, including the development of the world’s first Clean Power Hub for festivals, film production and major events — enabling creative industries to switch from diesel generators to 100% clean energy.
Bristol is a leading testbed for commercially scalable net‑zero solutions, offering clear routes to market for companies operating across energy, construction, technology and infrastructure.
Bristol City Council is piloting a Clean Energy Power Hub to support the decarbonisation of major cultural events and film and television production across the city.
Developed with the West of England Combined Authority and energy partners, the pilot will support Bristol’s thriving creative and events sectors by providing clean, reliable power where permanent grid connections are not available and reducing reliance on diesel generators.
From 2026, the hub will support a programme of large‑scale festivals, cultural events and screen production across council‑owned sites, improving air quality, reducing noise and cutting emissions during peak activity periods.
Bristol is a testbed for new net-zero solutions showing how clean energy infrastructure can support creative growth while setting direction for how cities can decarbonise high-impact, high-profile activity at scale.
Bristol has a clean energy investment programme that creates clear, investible opportunities across power, heat, buildings and business decarbonisation.
Our plan focuses on aggregation and scale, bringing projects together into robust pipelines to reduce risk and support long‑term private investment.
Key opportunities include:
More broadly, Bristol offers a place where climate ambition is embedded in delivery. The city brings experience of planning, infrastructure delivery and partnership working, and is creating the conditions for businesses and investors to engage with clean‑energy and net‑zero infrastructure from an early stage.
We understand regulatory and reporting obligations, can connect investors directly into heat networks and clean energy infrastructure from day one, and provide the conditions for businesses to thrive while meeting their net zero commitments.
We are creating a joined‑up clean‑growth ecosystem – not just individual projects, but a mature process for investment at scale.
