Energy4All’s Response to the Local Power Plan
Energy4All is impressed by the ambition, scale and intent behind the government’s Local Power Plan, which commits up to £1 billion in funding to the community and local energy sector. Our Chair Mike Smyth and Solar Operations/Project Manager Sam Stevens both attended the launch event for the Plan in London last night and came away with a strong sense that there is more than just tokenism here, there is genuine ambition for community ownership to grow in its diverse forms.
The Local Power Plan is concise at 27 pages, setting out a vision that by 2030, every community in the UK should have the opportunity to own or participate in a community energy project. It makes for efficient reading but still leaves some questions around implementation. GB Energy has stated its intent to work alongside community groups, so we will be engaging and monitoring progress (both independently and through working with organisations like Community Energy England) to hold them accountable to these commitments.
Key Elements of the Plan
Energy4All have been advocating for shared ownership as essential to reach the government’s targets for community and locally owned energy (the target was 8 GW, but that number is no longer mentioned in the Plan). We were therefore pleased to see shared ownership given significant attention in the Plan, with a real possibility of it becoming mandatory in policy.
Previous consultations have also highlighted the importance of early-stage development funding, and this too is addressed. There will be a busy few months ahead, as GB Energy has already launched an Expression of Interest process to hear project ideas.
Recognition of Co-operative Principles and the Wider Sector
The plan's acknowledgment of Britain's co-operative tradition was very welcome. Community energy builds on a longstanding history of co-operative enterprise that has shared wealth and given people a meaningful stake in their communities. The Local Power Plan recognises both the recent history and the deeper roots that have shaped the vibrant sector we have today.
It was great to see Westmill in Oxfordshire and Isle of Skye Renewables Co-op mentioned on the first page alongside Lawrence Weston and the Geraint Thomas Velodrome, demonstrating the breadth of what already exists in the sector.
And we were pleased to see attention given to what our partners in Europe are doing – the Middelgrunden Wind Farm in Denmark is a 40 MW offshore project that is 50/50 owned by a co-operative and the municipal utility, illustrating the scale that community ownership can achieve. Through Energy4All's participation on the board of RESCoop.eu, the European Federation of Citizen Energy Co-operatives, we maintain connections with these projects and the practical knowledge they offer. For example an initative that isn't mentioned in the plan is Energie Samen's Realisation Fund, an impressive community energy funding model in the Netherlands offering schemes up to €1,000,000 in finance. Initiatives like this may be useful for GB Energy to learn from.
Looking ahead
The Local Power Plan represents a significant policy development with the potential to transform the landscape of community energy in the UK. The commitment of substantial resources alongside clear intent provides a good foundation for the next three years.
However, the ultimate measure of this plan will be its implementation. Policy ambition must translate into operational reality: renewable energy projects delivered, and communities tangibly benefiting from ownership.
Energy4All has raised over £100 million in community energy capital since our establishment. Our communities want more opportunities to participate, and we are ready to engage with the Local Power Plan and turn it into positive action. We will be working with our 34 co-operatives, our local authority and private partners, and we are open to hearing from new community groups or stakeholders.
Get in touch at info@energy4all.co.uk if you have an idea you would like to discuss.