Today (4 March), Community Energy England and a broad coalition of civil society organisations, businesses and public figures deliver an open letter to the government calling for urgent action to unlock the full potential of community energy.
The open letter is signed by 250 organisations working across climate, poverty reduction, community development and local enterprise.
CEE and its partners say they “welcome the ambition outlined in the government’s Local Power Plan and Warm Homes Plan, which responds to key priorities set out in our open letter”.
They add: “Our intention is to work shoulder to shoulder with the government to ensure that great policy is matched by great delivery – because swift and effective implementation will be critical to turning ambition into impact.
“The Local Power Plan’s £1bn commitment is a significant and historic step forward, demonstrating real momentum. The open letter serves as a rallying cry and statement of shared priorities, highlighting remaining challenges that must be addressed so the plan can reach its full potential – including fair export pricing, reducing grid access delays, and improving access to public land and rooftops.
“This campaign is about partnership and progress: setting out the practical steps needed to unlock clean energy, community benefit, and economic opportunity at pace.
Community energy organisations are already generating clean power, cutting bills and reinvesting profits locally, argues the letter. The sector also enjoys strong public support, it adds,, with polling showing significantly greater backing for community-owned renewable energy projects than for commercial renewables.
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But CEE warns that 379MW of community schemes are currently stalled due to grid and policy barriers, while investment has fallen sharply over the past year.
“Without targeted action, the UK risks missing its 8GW community and local energy ambition by 2030,” the apex added.
The letter calls for “practical, deliverable measures to accelerate progress – from guaranteed fair export prices and faster grid connections to stronger shared ownership models and ring-fenced support for low-income communities”.
Emma Bridge, CEO of Community Energy England, said: “The publication of the Local Power Plan is fantastic news for communities across the country. £1bn of investment in local and community energy is a huge vote of confidence in what people can achieve when they’re trusted to lead the energy transition themselves. It shows real belief in the power of local action.
“The clean energy revolution is already happening. Communities across the UK are generating their own power, cutting bills and building local resilience. The direction of travel is right, and we welcome the Government’s ambition through the Local Power Plan.”
She added: “Community energy delivers far more than clean electricity. It keeps money in the local area, creates jobs, reduces costs for households and businesses, and helps make our energy system fairer for everyone.
“But ambition alone doesn’t build projects or connect them to the grid. That’s the message at the heart of our Up the Energy campaign: let’s turn plans into power. Community energy organisations are ready. The public is behind this. The economic case is clear. What we need now is pace and practical support to get projects moving quickly.
“With the right backing, community energy can help deliver clean power by 2030, strengthen energy security, and make sure the benefits of the transition are shared fairly. Britain is ready – now let’s unleash that potential and turn this funding into real projects on the ground as quickly as possible.”
The open letter is part of the wider Up The Energy campaign, which wants action to “put community power at the heart of Britain’s clean energy future”.
The campaign has been supported by funding from the Minor Foundation for Major Challenges and Thrive Renewables.
“The Westminster activation symbolised the campaign’s core message,” said CEE. “This is about building momentum. Not from the top down, but from communities across the country.
“Community energy organisations are already active in every nation of the UK. The campaign now calls on the government to match that local leadership with delivery at scale and pace.”
