ERP Discussion Paper on Community Energy released today – 9 September 2015

 

ERP’s discussion paper entitled ‘Community energy & the low-carbon transition’ has officially been released today, Wednesday 9 September 2015.

The paper discusses the potential role of community energy in the UK’s low-carbon transition.  It presents examples of community energy in the UK and other countries, to consider the motivations, benefits, costs and risks, and to identify challenges that community energy faces in the UK.

The paper highlights:

  • examples in which community energy has delivered benefits in the energy sector, as well as wider social benefits for communities;
  • the need for improved assessment of projects, and improved understanding of community energy’s role in the UK in order to determine whether its costs and benefits (and their distribution) justify addressing the challenges that it faces; and
  • opportunities in the short-term to increase the uptake of projects (including for conducting studies) and improve the delivery of expected benefits.

For background information, view the Community Energy project page.

The ERP would like to thank the Steering Group for its guidance and input which consisted of: Naomi Luhde-Thompson (chair) (Friends of the Earth), Fiona Booth (DECC), Ron Loveland (Welsh Government), Anna Wieckowska (Hitachi), Chris Noyce (ESRC), Christian Inglis (Innovate UK), Laura Morris (ETI)

For further information or to discuss presentation and networking opportunities, please contact ERP Executive Analyst, Dr. Simon Cran-McGreehin.