Heat is having a moment.
At our conference this week, the Minister for Local Energy and Jobs, Martin McCluskey, chose our stage to set out his vision for the sector. Government recognises our industry – and ADE: Heat Networks as its representative voice – as the route to delivering real change.
The Minister was clear that every part of the country must benefit from the transition to clean energy, when people see the benefits, they get on board. That's a message we can all get behind.
For too long, we've wasted the heat all around us – the warmth from data centres, from industry, from rivers and from the ground beneath our feet. Heat networks capture that wasted energy and put it to work heating our homes and businesses. Heat networks are how we lower bills, create jobs and grow the economy.
The Minister gets it; he told the room how he'd seen the industry providing solutions and boosting local economies. He praised the partnership with the ADE – and I'm proud that our members had the chance to respond directly, shaping our forthcoming substantive response to government.
There was real substance in his speech, three things stood out to me.
First, the government is exploring a Regulated Asset Base model to create a stable, long-term sector that investors can back with confidence, funding certainty is a potential gamechanger.
Second, for too long, a lack of standards has damaged public trust, the Minister was candid about this - including in his own constituency. Meaningful action on technical standards and consumer protection is coming and we'll be working closely with government to get it right.
Third, power is moving closer to communities. Mayors and local authorities know their areas best – at least ten of the biggest towns and cities will get funding once zoning regulations go live.
Heat networks could deliver up to £100bn of investment by 2050, meeting a fifth of England's heat demand. The Minister knows this, he's seen it first-hand – in Seaham, in Durham, in Cardiff.
Our job now is to keep the momentum, to challenge, to contribute, to hold government to its word.
This event was for ADE members, they were in the room, they had their say. If you want your voice heard as this sector takes off, you need to be part of it.
The Minister said he wants to work hand in hand with us, ADE: Heat Networks – and more importantly our members - are ready.
Chris Unsworth is Head of ADE: Heat Networks