• Lack of visibility of local opportunities – Investors often struggle to see how different local priorities fit together, which slows the flow of funds. A LAEP helps show the local context and where the best opportunities lie.
• Disparities across regions – Places with smaller tax bases or higher perceived risk may attract less capital. Coordinated local energy planning that’s backed by good data can help reduce risk and inspire investor confidence.
• Need for large, long-term investments – Net Zero projects are often on a big scale and run over many years. Clear local plans let investors see how their money could be invested in portfolios of projects rather than in isolated schemes.

Potential actions for local authority officers

• Tap into the LAEP evidence base
  • Extract the most important near-term projects from your LAEP and organise them by cost, timeframe, and feasibility. Demonstrate how these fit into a bigger Net Zero roadmap so internal colleagues and potential investors can see the “big picture”.
• Get internal buy-in before approaching investors
  • Work with relevant council teams – finance, legal, procurement, planning – to agree which projects to prioritise. Clarify your authority’s appetite for risk, borrowing limits (e.g. via the Public Works Loan Board), and timelines for action.
• Consider a mix of finance options
  • There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Some projects may be best funded via grants or low-interest loans; others may need equity investments or public-private partnerships. Having a mix of financing models ready can speed things up if one route closes or stalls.
  • Map out local funding sources (e.g. devolved funds, if relevant) as well as private finance options. Consider place-based approaches that group projects together to reach the scale big investors want.
• Focus on investable ‘priority projects’
  • Early-stage “low regrets” actions – like fitting solar panels on council buildings or installing electric vehicle chargers where demand is high – can quickly build momentum. Show how these can be replicated elsewhere in the area for greater scale.
  • Pull together a shortlist of near-term interventions into a simple investment prospectus with basic technical details, expected returns (or social value), and timescales.
• Build an investment prospectus
  • A clear investment prospectus explains the projects’ expected costs, benefits, timelines, and delivery structures (e.g. who’s building, who’s operating). Make sure it is:
    • Concise: Investors should grasp the scale and scope right away.
    • Data-driven: Reference the evidence from your LAEP that backs up your claims.
    • Forward-looking: Show you have a pipeline beyond the first wave of projects.
  • Use plain English and well-laid-out figures so it’s easy to compare different elements (heat networks, retrofit plans, EV infrastructure, etc.)
• Engage potential investors
  • Reach out early to get feedback on your pipeline’s structure. Gather insights on what they need to commit capital, such as guaranteed offtake agreements, planning certainty, or a minimum rate of return.
  • Attend targeted events (like UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum) or set up your own investor days to spark direct conversations.
• Adapt and grow the plan
  • Local decarbonisation doesn’t happen overnight. Keep refining your pipeline with new data from completed projects, local changes, and updated national policy.
  • Use lessons from your early successes (and any setbacks) to build investor confidence in future phases – for example, rolling out more ambitious district heating schemes or hydrogen-ready infrastructure.