News of a new government Community Energy Fund is a great boost for the community energy sector in the UK. The fund, which will open in early Autumn, aligns really well with the Community Energy Pathways programme that Community Energy South is delivering with Local Authorities.
This £10 million Community Energy Fund will be delivered over two years through the Local Net Zero Hubs. This expands on the success of the previous Rural Community Energy Fund to enable any community, rural or urban across England, to access grant funding to develop local renewable energy projects for investment.
This money will directly help community energy groups access the funding they need to develop community energy projects, supporting local growth and enabling places to directly benefit from clean, locally owned energy.
It will be available alongside existing support for the community energy sector, such as the UK wide Shared Prosperity Funds and Innovate UK funds, which community energy groups can work with Local Authorities to access.
Read the press release from Department for Energy Security and Net Zero here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/communities-at-the-heart-of-new-fund-to-boost-local-growth-and-energy-security
Image credit: Panels at schools in East Grinstead, West Sussex, Britain ©1010 flickr