Partnership with JE and solar arrays on public buildings

WQ.79/2026

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE BY DEPUTY H.L. JEUNE OF ST. JOHN, ST. LAWRENCE AND TRINITY QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 16th MARCH 2026

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 23rd MARCH 2026

Question

"In relation to the partnership agreement between the Government of Jersey and Jersey Electricity for the installation of solar arrays on public buildings, will the Minister advise –

1. which party will be responsible for funding the solar installations, to include the cost of solar panels, project management, installation and ongoing maintenance;
2. what financial contribution, if any, the Government is providing to the project if they are not funding the installations;
3. whether Jersey Electricity will own and operate the solar arrays and, if so, for what period;
4. whether the Government will receive any income, lease payments or other financial benefit from the use of public buildings for the solar installations;
5. whether electricity generated by these arrays will offset the electricity consumption of the relevant public buildings or whether it will instead be exported directly to the grid;
6. whether the Government will receive any discount, credit or financial benefit on its electricity costs; and
7. the current annual cost of electricity paid by the Government of Jersey across its estate, including a breakdown (where available) of the largest electricity-consuming sites?"

Answer

1. The JEC are responsible for funding the project management, capital procurement, installation and maintenance of the cost of PV panels on agreed public premises.
2. The government are making no financial contribution to the installation or maintenance of the equipment.
3. The intention for the roof top sites will be that the JEC will have a leased period of use. The length of time may vary from site to site and will depend on the age and construction of the roof, the available area and will acknowledge the cost of the capital investment.
4. The government will receive a rental income for the use of public buildings for solar power generation.
5. Power generated on these systems will be for the use of the JEC as it sees fit in its remit to generate energy for the Island.
6. The financial benefit accrued to the government is in the form of a guaranteed rental income for the roof space. This will go towards the maintenance and upkeep of the wider estate, but will also be factored into the JPH decarbonisation of the government estate.
7. In 2025, electricity expenditure totalled £7,698,422, covering consumption of over 39GWh (Giga Watt hours). The Energy from Waste Facility generated over 42GWh, which comprised both on- site usage and export to the electricity network. Export pricing information is commercially sensitive and is therefore not held within this department.

The largest users above £200,000 are: