On 4 July the people elected a government with real plans to turbocharge community energy. One of the new government’s flagship climate policies, their Local Power Plan, pledges up to £400m a year in low interest loans to communities to develop and build community-owned projects, alongside £600m a year in grants to local authorities. The Labour […]
This Community Energy Fortnight, Essex County Council (ECC) is championing Community Energy Groups across the county and encouraging residents who are interested to join or start their own local energy group. To combat climate change, ECC is committed to finding effective and innovative strategies to reduce emissions, promote renewable energy sources, and engage residents to […]
This Community Energy Fortnight, Di Gerry, Senior Corporate Finance Manager at Triodos Bank UK, shares her top tips for community groups on securing funding for their energy projects. An absence of government subsidies and a limited availability of grants – together with higher interest rates that have driven up the cost of borrowing – has […]
Our current energy system is changing because the old approach is no longer fit to meet the challenges of climate change, to embed energy security (clearly highlighted by conflicts such as the war in Ukraine) and to create a system that doesn’t regard high levels of fuel poverty as an inevitable consequence of normal business […]
UK Power Networks has pledged £1 million to help community energy groups scale up their Net Zero programmes. Working alongside Community Energy South (CES), the new funding will help up to 20 community organisations and charities support those who are at risk of falling behind in the Net Zero transition. The announcement comes ahead of Community Energy Fortnight (1-14 […]
Welcome to Community Energy Fortnight 2024! This year, from 1 July 1st to 14 July, we’re embarking on an exciting journey to empower communities across the UK in the realm of community energy. Community Energy Fortnight (CEF) isn’t just an event; it’s a movement that brings together thousands of individuals, showcasing the power of community-driven […]
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Community Energy held an event entitiled Empowering Community Energy, in the largest meeting room in parliament which was packed with 150 people. At least as many people failed to gain entry. The extraordinary enthusiasm for this event was noted and will be fed up to the top of government […]
Launching on 7 February 2024 is a new all-member online forum. CEE has a range of members beyond community energy organisations, including companies providing services to the sector, such as installers, solicitors, and PPA providers, local authorities at various levels, and NGOs who support the community energy sector and broader community and co-operative sectors. These […]
The Labour Party One of the five missions set out by the Labour Party over the last year is to make Britain a clean energy superpower. In 2023, the Party published its Local Power Plan, which set out some of its underlying policy proposals to help it achieve this goal. It included a pledge to support […]
A blog written by Sarah Charsley, who recently completed her masters degree at the University of Edinburgh and wrote her dissertation on how the recent energy crisis has impacted a just energy transition and how engagement with community energy might have changed as a result of the crisis. As we enter another winter of extreme […]
Blog written by Marianne Brown, Communications Manager for Bristol Energy Cooperative Only 1% of British adults feel they know a great deal about the concept of community energy, according to a poll commissioned by Bristol Energy Cooperative As governments gather at COP28 to discuss urgent measures to mitigate the worst effects of climate breakdown, a new […]
Blog written by Amelia Crews from Younity As you navigate the complexities of starting a community energy group, hear from Younity on how to equip yourselves with skilled volunteers ready to lend a hand. —————————————————————————————————- At Younity, we’re lucky enough to interact with groups pioneering the community energy movement every day! We exist to support […]