Regen has sent a letter to the Secretary of State to ask about the 'needed' status of local and community energy in the government's soon-to-be-published Clean Power Plan. Co-signed by UK100, the Local Government Association, the Welsh Local Government Association and the Consortium of Local Authorities in Wales, the letter seeks to keep local and community energy on the same agenda as the bigger projects that will be the focus of the Clean Power Plan.
The Clean Power 2030 plan marks a significant change for the energy sector, and we warmly welcome the commitment to accelerate clean power in the UK.
However, with the focus on larger projects, the plan risks leaving behind local and community energy and, with it, the 8 GW local and community energy commitment in the government's Local Power Plan.
Local and community energy can give people a direct stake in the energy transition, and local authorities are already producing their own plans to develop clean energy, enable warm, low-carbon homes and boost local economies. It's critical that energy infrastructure can enable these plans and support local net zero efforts, while also facilitating the gigawatts of new generation to deliver clean power targets.
That's why we have joined together with a coalition of local government organisations to ask the government to ensure that local and community energy is designated as 'needed' within the Clean Power 2030 plan and unlock local and community energy ambitions to support the UK's charge to net zero.
The letter provides examples from across the UK of the added value of local and community energy and how it can help people and places thrive, and offers to provide any further evidence needed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
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