Which outdoor spaces do you like most in your community – maybe a bench by a local beauty spot or a field where you walk the dog? Are there places you don’t like – a busy road or brownfield site? Our relationship with the place we live has a huge impact on how we connect with the world. That’s why, when it comes to the energy transition, it’s so important to put communities at the heart of decision-making over where renewable projects are built. Finding an effective way to do that is what community energy is all about.
Community energy is a not-for-profit model of energy ownership where projects are built to reflect the hopes and needs of local residents. As every community is different, these projects – and how residents choose to manage them – vary in form and structure. From hydro to solar and wind, business models vary according to where people want profits to go and who is in charge of day-to-day management.
Finding the right way to engage people in these choices is hugely important, especially because connection to place is very personal. Making sure people not only feel listened to, but also see evidence of their contribution in the final project is key.
Over the last two years, through a variety of grant funding, BEC has worked with the Centre of Sustainable Energy (CSE) to organise a series of workshops across South Gloucestershire using a methodology called Future Energy Landscapes. Working with local community groups, the workshops are designed to encourage people to share their feelings about where they live, what the energy usage of their community actually is and how an energy project might meet those needs and more.
Collecting this information is one thing. Importantly, we also use it to support communities to help make these projects a reality. Following initial workshops to map where a project might be placed, we are also doing follow-up events to take this data to the next level and plan how it could be funded and managed.
One of these concluding workshops, Choosing Our Energy Future, will be held on 23rd June in Thornbury – the location of our first FEL workshop back in 2024. It will be a very special event as we support local group Climate Action Thornbury and Surrounding Areas (CATSA) in their work to make the town an even better place to live. In past workshops in the town we’ve explored how renewable energy can work locally, what community ownership means and whether there is appetite to move forward. Next, we’re focusing on turning those ideas into action.
If you know anyone who lives nearby and would like to be part of it, share this story. Sign up to attend via the link below.
