The UK Government has unlocked £10m in funding to empower local people to develop renewable energy projects to benefit their local communities.
The renewable energy projects will generate clean energy, such as rural heat networks or rooftop solar, while kickstarting private investment to scale up projects in local communities.
The fund will also support local jobs and growth, build stronger communities, and scale up affordable, locally sourced energy.
Both urban and rural communities will have the chance to win a portion of the new Community Energy Fund for their area. Applications will open in early Autumn.
Communities will design their own renewable energy projects
The renewable energy projects will all be designed by local people. They include:
- Small-scale wind farms;
- Rooftop solar partnerships;
- Battery storage;
- Rural heat networks;
- Electric vehicle charging points; and
- Fuel poverty alleviation schemes.
Andrew Bowie, UK Minister for Nuclear and Networks, commented: “Local communities are at the heart of our plans to boost our energy security and grow the economy. The Community Energy Fund for England will empower communities to do just that.
“They’ll be able to drive forward innovative renewable energy projects that will have a lasting positive impact, bringing costs down, building stronger communities, and securing clean energy for generations to come.”
Whether in a remote village or city neighbourhood, the projects will deliver families and businesses affordable, secure and clean home-grown energy while helping homes manage their own energy consumption to reduce costs and reduce fuel poverty.
Surplus money generated from these renewable energy projects will be invested directly back into local communities through projects such as community gardens and youth employment groups.
In turn, this will help deliver on the government’s ambitions to restore optimism and pride in local communities and build a better future across the country.
The Congleton Hydro project: Producing local, clean, and secure energy
The new Community Energy Fund follows the former Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) success, expanding the remit to include renewable energy investment for both rural and urban areas.
The Community Energy Fund will fund renewable energy projects like Congleton Hydro, which received £73,511 from the Rural Community Energy Fund.
The Congleton Hydro project produces affordable, clean, and secure electricity from a local weir – enough to power 60 homes.
The project is not only reducing emissions in the area, but its success has also led to the creation of an annual £5,000 fund for renewable energy projects in local communities.
So far, the additional revenue has funded a re-wilding programme to protect nature in the area and an educational programme to help young people deliver local sustainability.
“The Rural Communities Energy Fund (RCEF) has been a real enabler for Dane Vally Community Energy’s Congleton Hydro, helping us to refine the system design and commission additional environmental studies required by the local planning authority,” explained Bob Owen, Chartered Engineer at Congleton Hydro.
He concluded: “Further funds from RCEF have enabled us to successfully specify and design the next Hydro Scheme based on another historic Weir in Congleton Park and fund the research and the realisation of a Community Solar Scheme—the Community Share Prospectus.
“Without the funding for local renewable energy projects, it is most unlikely that either scheme would have seen the light of day.”
