Great British Energy will fund local solar and renewable projects in the UK under the new Local Power Plan, aiming for community energy ownership by 2030
Up to £1 billion will support locally owned clean energy projects, including solar on community buildings
The plan targets an initial 1,000 projects, led by communities or local governments, with grants, loans, and capacity-building support
The initiative aims to scale community energy, drawing on models from Germany and Denmark, to cut bills and grow local wealth
The UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Great British Energy (GBE) have announced up to £1 billion in funding to support locally-owned clean energy projects under the Local Power Plan. This includes solar systems installed on community buildings like libraries, leisure centers, and miners’ welfare clubs.
To be implemented by the UK government’s clean energy-focused investment body GBE, the Local Power Plan is the country’s 'biggest public investment in community energy' to date. It is aligned with the government’s vision to have every community in the country own a local energy project by 2030.
Under the plan, GBE will support an initial 1,000 clean energy projects to help deliver clean power by 2030. The projects will be developed and led by communities or local government, which best know how to deliver for their area, or alternatively allow people to buy shares in nearby larger-scale renewable projects, it explained.
Citizens will be able to express their interest in funding and advice on building community-owned clean energy projects in their local area through GBE. The latter will provide direct funding through grants for underserved areas and loans. It will also support with capacity building efforts to help citizens set up such projects.
Citing the successful models of community-owned energy in Germany and Denmark, the UK government says this model has been held back by a lack of funding, advice, and central government support.
Details of the Local Power Plan are available on the department’s website.
Calling Local Power Plan a 'transformative strategy', UK Secretary of State Ed Miliband stressed that it will 'unleash the untapped dynamism, resources and enthusiasm of our communities', backed by up to £1 billion of funding from Great British Energy to support local projects that will cut bills and grow community wealth.
GBE had earlier announced £10 million in grants to fund solar, batteries, and EV chargers for public facilities (see Great British Energy Rolls Out £10 Million In Clean Energy Grants).