The UK Government has committed to delivering 8GW of local and community owned energy to support its 2030 clean power mission. Access to comprehensive advice and support will be critical for community energy organisations, who are often time and resource poor, to navigate a complex project development process and support the delivery of this target. Many organisations will also be unable to complete this process by themselves.
This briefing focuses on what a community energy support programme in England could look like, drawing on the successful models of the Welsh Government Energy Service and the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). Both schemes provide effective, impartial, tailored advice to community energy organisations, as well as access to cross-cutting financial support.
In Wales, the scheme has supported the installation of 44.5 MW of renewable energy capacity since 2018. This is the equivalent of the electricity needed to power 18,000 homes. In Scotland, CARES has delivered advice to over 1,150 organisations and delivered over £65 million in funding to over 900 organisations, leading to the installation of 60 MW of renewable energy.
We recommend the UK Government sets up a community energy support programme in England as soon as possible. Energy Saving Trust’s delivery experience means we are well placed to support the design and delivery of this and we suggest the following recommendations should be taken forward to ensure its success:
- Operate a ‘one stop shop’ model of support.
- Support projects from an early stage to develop investable projects.
- Build capacity to ensure advisors are trusted experts within their communities.
- Support should be demand led and responsive to the sector’s needs.
- Combine support services with revenue certainty for maximum impact.
- Support communities to explore shared ownership opportunities.
- Support more than just renewable energy generation.