Change is in the air. The General Election on 4th July is a crucial chance to elect a government that will turbocharge community-owned renewable energy: accelerating the just transition to net zero while tackling inequality and enabling communities to have a say in how their energy is generated and used.
Now that the parties’ manifestos are out, how do they stack up for community energy?
Labour’s Local Power Plan, part of their flagship manifesto commitment to achieve a zero-carbon energy sector by 2030, recognises the importance of local generation for local benefit. The plan commits substantial support in the form of low interest loans and targeted grants for community groups and local authorities to kickstart local energy projects – alongside prioritising addressing sector-wide barriers like national grid bottlenecks.
Other parties also show strong support for community-owned energy. The Liberal Democrat manifesto pledges to enable community energy organisations to sell electricity directly to local people, as does the Green manifesto. The latter also includes a minimum threshold of community ownership in all clean onshore energy. Both reforms would be game-changing for our sector and for the communities we work with.
In stark contrast, the Conservatives‘ manifesto shows a disappointing (if not surprising) lack of ambition on reaching net zero – doubling down on oil and gas exploration, while restricting on-shore wind and rural solar development – and no mention at all of community energy. For more detail on each party’s commitments, have a look at Community Energy England’s analysis.
Our work in Bristol shows how we can reduce carbon emissions and tackle the climate emergency from the ground up, one rooftop at a time, working with and for the benefit of our communities. But there is only so much we can achieve without government policy that removes barriers for renewable energy development and enables the sector to thrive.
From joining other energy groups to speak up outside the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in Westminster, to engaging with Labour’s prospective Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero right here in Bristol, we’re always championing community energy!
So, let’s use our voting power and collective voice to keep pushing for the support that local energy needs: harnessing the winds of change to empower our communities.
On the cusp of a new political landscape, bringing new opportunities, what better time to join us at Bristol Energy Cooperative? Invest in our share offer and become a member of the coop to be part of the solution: https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/bristol-energy-cooperative
