Community wind energy has been a challenging development area in recent years but, recently, there has been a glimmer of hope and CEE is keen to chase it. In the Energy Security Strategy, published in April 2022 it was announced that the government "will consult this year on developing local partnerships for a limited number of willing communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for benefits, including lower energy bills".

CEE has met with Possible, Friends of the Earth, Regen and Renewable UK to plan how best to exploit the concession towards onshore wind offered in the Energy Security Strategy.

We want to show the government that lots of communities want to do onshore wind themselves rather than this potential being dominated by big developers and suggest that they should relax planning constraints in England for community onshore wind. 70% of the population now support onshore wind even local to them.

A recent report showed that community wind projects in Scotland delivered on average 34 times the community benefit of commercial projects even though they are mandated to contribute to community benefit funds! We want that for our communities!

If your area is suitable for onshore wind and your organisation is interested in maybe, probably or definitely looking into doing it (or equally has experienced blocks that have deterred you) please fill in our wind survey here. If you know other organisations, including local authorities, who should fill this in please forward it to them.

Please fill in the wind survey here