The Labour government has announced a new plan to provide up to £1 billion in funds for community energy in what it calls “the biggest public investment in community energy in this country’s history”.
The Government’s Local Power Plan was announced last week and puts community energy on the map. It will help to open hundreds of new renewable energy schemes that are owned by and generate profit for their local communities — and it’s a big moment for the community energy sector.
At Repowering London we are pleased to see that ‘ownership’ was a key theme in the Local Power Plan document and at the Plan’s launch celebration at Hoxton Hall in east London. Ownership gives communities the power to control their own low carbon assets and take pride in where they live. We also welcome the focus on Smart Local Energy Systems, which are designed to: “reflect local needs and resources, enabling communities to take a more active role in their energy future”.
As the details are still being finalised, we are looking to do our part in shaping what the Plan will look like in action. We believe it’s imperative to build a transition that meets the needs and shares the benefits to all, and we want to see that this is reflected in the Plan’s execution.
At Repowering London our aim isn’t to just deliver kilowatt hours or apply for grants to build solar assets. We are committed to Creating Local Energy. This means our projects are firmly rooted in local networks, bring neighbours together to build closer connections and generate the social energy that creates opportunities for communities to flourish. Our unique programme incorporates social, financial and educational opportunities. It includes avenues for young people to enter green industries building a more resilient future for clean energy – something missing from the Local Power Plan as it stands.
Overall, the Local Power Plan is a welcome investment in our sector, and recognition of what we have always known – that communities have the power to unlock the UK’s pathway to a clean energy future that puts money directly into people’s pockets. We also know that this energy transition must be fair and inclusive, and that is why we have already begun working with local government to develop and grow our Repowered Community model.
The Repowered Community is Repowering London’s clean energy neighbourhood model. Its community-centred approach shares the benefits of reduced energy costs, retrofit support, locally generated green electricity and youth education. Our aim is to make the model accessible and replicable – so that every town and city in the UK will be able to lead the way to a sustainable future.
The Repowered Community is about building a movement towards a fairer future that doesn’t leave anyone behind. And research has shown that genuinely democratic governance models for energy infrastructure will help share the benefits more fairly and build a more just transition. We hope that the Local Power Plan will ensure that happens.
Learn More:
Afsheen Kabir Rashid talks about the up-and-coming Repowered Community in Westminster