On 10th February Great British Energy and government published the Local Power Plan, backed by funding of up to £1 billion, to help support locally-owned clean energy generation projects such as solar on community buildings like libraries, leisure centres and miners’ welfare clubs.
The plan is set to deliver the biggest public investment in community energy in this country’s history. Ownership is a transformative tool to build the wealth of local areas – giving people a stake in the places they live and generating pride, respect and local prosperity that can’t be dismantled.
Great British Energy and government plan to boost community energy ownership through:
- direct funding – strategically investing up to £1 billion in community energy groups, and local authorities including via grants and loans. Schemes will launch later this year and grants will be targeted at underserved areas or where there has historically been low take up of community energy
- capability building – building up the capacity and skills required for the sector, acting as a co-ordinator for community energy groups and local government. Individuals will also be able to get advice from Great British Energy on setting up clean energy projects
- business model development – developing investable business models, with the community energy sector, to reduce reliance on grant funding and increase self-sustainability
- regulatory changes – consulting on whether to mandate the offer of shared ownership of clean energy projects and collaborating with the regulators on how to make it easier to share generated power locally
Energise South Downs’ projects have recieved support from the Greater South East Community Energy Fund (CEF), one of five hubs funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. ESD welcomes the Local Power Plan and what this will mean for scaling up our work.
