Community Energy Scotland have released our recent paper on the development of community energy. The paper reflects a comprehensive review of the role of community energy given the COVID pandemic. As you would expect our focus is Scotland but there are many similarities & of course important reserved matters that can only be addressed at the UK level.
View a summary of the Next Steps in Community Energy or the full report.
In our view community led action offers a massive and largely untapped opportunity to speed up the transformation of energy demand, so that it enables renewable energy to provide a much greater share of our energy supply in the drive to achieve net zero. A National Community Energy Plan will be required to co-ordinate this new layer of action, and ensure a just transition where no community is left behind.
This requires the systematic creation of a new layer of local partnerships between community anchor organisations, Local Authorities and energy networks. Community based organisations are key players in the process of changing energy behaviour, assisting in the process of rolling out low carbon heating and transport and reaching disadvantaged people. These partnerships would be responsible for a finely tuned approach to local energy planning, energy education, and investing in targeted area by area interventions on energy efficiency, the development of local energy supplies and low carbon heat and transport.
Our report sets out in detail the measures that could be taken, this year, to put locally led demand reduction and flexible management of domestic energy at the heart of the green recovery – and help strengthen communities so they are better placed to deal with future crises.
We would be pleased to discuss any aspect of this paper with our Members and Partners and would welcome any comments you might have. Please contact Victoria Mackay for further information.
