We are delighted to share that Bristol Energy Cooperative has received grants from Patagonia’s 1% for the Planet Fund and Younity’s Powering Communities Fund to deliver an innovative new project delivering workshops to local people about renewable energy in the Bristol and South Gloucestershire region.
Future Energy Landscapes is a model for engagement workshops devised by The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) to involve local communities in considering what their local energy needs are, what aspects of their local landscape are particularly important to them, and what mix of renewable technologies local people would like to have.
In the UK, there are currently strict planning requirements for on-shore wind, and renewable energy more generally. Community engagement is a key factor that can stall any developments from going forward. This means we are significantly lowering our chances of urgently getting to net zero.
To create more meaningful engagement with communities and facilitate an increase in renewable energy that suits Bristol and South Gloucestershire residents, BEC and CSE will be running three workshops over the coming months, and documenting the process along the way.
We look forward to collaborating with local communities on the Future Energy Landscapes project. Huge thank you to Patagonia and Younity for your support in making this possible!
