News & insights
Latest announcements, updates and insights of interest to the community energy sector
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DfE draft standardised PPA for school solar could "stop the sector in its tracks"
As part of a Market Engagement process ending on 28 August the Department for Education has published a DRAFT standardised Power Purchase Agreement for solar on schools that will be compulsory once permitting for school solar projects resumes in the Autumn. The standardised lease will be published soon. Initial reactions from members is that, in […] -
Community Energy England welcomes Prime Minister Andy Burnham
Community Energy England (CEE) congratulates Andy Burnham on becoming Prime Minister and welcomes the vision set out in his first speech. The Prime Minister’s commitment to building a new political and economic model that gives people and places more power, invests in people’s success, and enables communities to shape their own futures closely reflects the […] -
Community Energy England's response to DfE announcement
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced a pilot procurement programme on 150 schools and colleges to mobilise private finance to install rooftop solar - which community energy has been doing successfully for decades. Add your news story
CEE Members can add your news story here for inclusion in these pages.
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Community Energy Fortnight 2026 launches with a call to Up the Energy
Community Energy Fortnight 2026 officially launches today, kicking off two weeks of events from 1 – 14 July with activities and inspiring stories that celebrate the growing power of community-led energy across the UK. Communities, local organisations and partners across the UK will showcase how community energy strengthens local economies, reduces energy costs, gives people […] -
Community Energy England members: get 50% off Co-operatives UK membership with new dual offer
New membership partnership launches at the start of Community Energy Fortnight 2026 to help community energy organisations seize growing opportunities for local power. As Community Energy Fortnight 2026 gets underway, Co-operatives UK and Community Energy England (CEE) have launched a new dual membership offer designed to help community energy organisations grow, collaborate and maximise their […] -
Up the Energy launches Crowdfunder
Up the Energy launches Crowdfunder to scale community energy movement across UK A new national campaign, Up the Energy, has launched a Crowdfunder to help grow the community energy movement and enable more people to take part in building a fairer, cleaner energy system. The campaign is designed to support communities across England to generate […] -
How Repowering London worked with Alentis Energy to build a single source of truth for all their energy operations
Community Energy England member Repowering London manages 45 solar installations across London with a 1.5MW capacity on behalf of 11 different energy cooperatives. They recently worked with Alentis Energy to track maintenance, centralise all their contracts and documentation, and maintain an equipment register to simplify the management of their rooftop solar portfolio. The Challenge: Tracking […] -
DfE webinar on pilot school PPA project taking place on Tuesday 18 August
The Department for Education has published a market engagement notice on its proposed standardised PPA contract for a pilot project affecting up to 150 schools in Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the South East. The Department is holding a webinar on 18 August, 1pm-2pm, which you can register for by emailing them […] -
The evolution of Community Energy, and what to consider when taking Community Energy into the mainstream
BWCE’s Head of Marketing and Communication, Julia O’Connor caught up with Managing Director, Pete Capener, to discuss the evolution of Community Energy, and what to consider when taking Community Energy into the mainstream – see the Q&A below. Q/ Pete you’ve been involved in community energy for many years. Can you reflect on what has […] -
Rooftop solar can help Milton Keynes organisations take control of energy costs as our climate changes
By Milton Keynes Community Energy Community-owned energy offers organisations a practical way to reduce electricity costs, gain greater long-term price certainty and support a more resilient local energy system – all without the upfront investment or maintenance responsibilities normally associated with solar. As hotter summers become more frequent and electricity demand grows, particularly from cooling, […] -
Powering together: how collaborative funding brought Kilbirnie wind turbine to life
By Thrive Renewables Just an hour South of Glasgow in Kilbirnie stands a 110 metre high wind turbine, owned by a local community group. The 2.5MW project has the capacity to generate enough clean electricity to power over 2,000 average Scottish homes and deliver over 3,000 tonnes of carbon emissions reductions a year. But it […] -
Cleaner, cheaper, closer to home – is community energy the local solution to global energy shocks?
A blog by Thrive Renewables UK consumers have faced at least eight major gas price spikes over the past ten years, both weather-driven and geopolitical, like the current conflict in the Middle East. It was only four years ago that the UK spent £50 billion supporting bill payers in the energy crisis following Russia’s invasion […]
