Open letter from organisations in support of the Environmental Audit Committee’s recommendations to government on removing the barriers to community energy.
This letter was sent on 26 May with 75 signatures (see here) but is still open for organisations to add their support. If you want to add your organisation's signature please do so here and publicise that you have signed.
__________________
To: SoSs (and Ministers) at BEIS, MHCLG, the Cabinet Office, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, CEO of Ofgem, cc to Number 10, cc Phillip Dunne Environmental Audit Committee Chair
Dear Secretaries of State, Ministers, Chancellor and Ofgem,
Action on Environmental Audit Committee recommendations on community energy
We, the undersigned organisations, support the Environmental Audit Committee’s Letter to the government on Removing the barriers to the development of community energy.
We support all its recommendations - first and foremost that the importance of community energy be recognised in the Net Zero Strategy and, vitally, in practical (and financial) support measures, that must be provided for in the Comprehensive Spending Review, to harness the potential of community energy.
Community energy is essential to getting the buy in and active participation of the wider public, without which, as the Climate Change Committee has repeatedly warned, “It will not be possible to get close to meeting a net-zero target.” The Climate Assembly UK report to the government highlighted “informing and educating everyone”, “fairness within the UK, including for the most vulnerable” and “local community engagement” as prioritised principles to underpin the path to net zero. Community energy can be a key ally to the Government here. It can deliver significantly greater social and community benefits than purely commercial interventions, ensuring people and communities are not left behind. Community energy is essential to realising a just transition and harnessing local opportunities and synergies that otherwise would not happen.
We urge you to work together to ensure that the specific recommendations in the Committee’s letter are taken seriously and enacted. These include removing the regulatory barriers to local supply of energy and providing specific financial supports for community energy such as is available for commercial onshore renewable energy, namely: a Community Smart Export Guarantee, with a long-term floor price; an Urban Community Energy Fund; a replacement for the Renewable Heat Incentive for community energy and funding for Local Area Energy Planning and local authority/community energy collaborations.
We look forward to hearing positive news from you and seeing the cross-departmental working, collaboration with devolved administrations, regulatory enabling, support for local authority/community energy planning and collaboration, and learning from international best practice that the Committee advocates.
We look forward to seeing community energy fulfil its potential, adding value to communities and empowering them to meet their own needs, and ensuring no one and no community is left behind in a just energy transition.
Yours sincerely
(list of signatories is below)
To sign this letter...
Please add the organisation, signatory name and role (ideally CEO or chair - actual signature not required) to the letter here. Please let other organisations know about this letter.
May we suggest you tweet?
(Please # and @ freely inc MPs, partner organisations, @Comm1nrgy, @KwasiKwarteng, @beisgovuk, @mhclg, @RishiSunak, @ofgem, @RobertJenrick, @hmtreasury... )
We have added our signature to the Open Letter to govt supporting @CommonsEAC recommendations to @BEISgovuk remove the barriers to #communityenergy, essential to achieving #NetZero and delivering huge #SocialBenefit. Please add your weight.
https://communityenergyengland.org/files/document/497/1622045108_OpenletterinsupportofEACrecommendationsonCE.pdf
Signatories
National organisations
Ashden, Harriet Lamb, CEO
Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technologies (REA), Dr Nina Skorupska CBE, CEO
Big Society Capital, Stephen Muers, CEO
Black2Nature, Dr Mya-Rose Craig, Founder & President
Bright Renewables (Community Owned Asset Management Limited), Ania Vercellotti, Managing Director
Centre for Sustainable Energy, Keith Hempshall, Head of Local and Community Empowerment
Co-operatives UK, Rose Marley, CEO
Community Energy England, Emma Bridge, CEO
Community Energy Scotland, Janet Foggie, CEO
Community Energy Wales, Robert Proctor, Business Development Manager
CPRE, the countryside charity, Crispin Truman OBE, Chief Executive
Energy Networks Association, Randolph Brazier, Director of Innovation & Electricity Systems
Energy Saving Trust, Mike Thornton, CEO
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Caroline Mason, CEO
Ethex, Lisa Ashford, CEO
Forum for the Future, Sally Uren, Chief Executive
Friends of the Earth, Dave Timms, Head of Political Affairs
Friends Provident Foundation, Danielle Palmour Walker, Director
Green Alliance, Shaun Spiers, Executive Director.
Greenpeace, Doug Parr, Policy Director
Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Fazlun Khalid, Founder
Locality, Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive
Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation, Jonathan Gillett, Trustee
Possible, Max Wakefield, Director
Power for People, Steve Shaw, Founder director.
Power to Change, Vidhya Alakeson, Chief Executive
Regen, Jodie Giles, Senior Project Manager, Communities
Scottish Communities Climate Action Network, Philip Revell, Convenor
Social Enterprise UK, Peter Holbrook, CEO
Sustainable Energy Association, Jade Lewis, CEO
Thrive Renewables, Matthew Clayton, Managing Director
Triodos Bank UK, Philip Bazin, Head of Project Finance
UK Power Networks, Emma Kemp, Competition & Community Energy Engagement Lead
UK100, Polly Billington, Chief Executive
Community organisations
Awel Co-op, Dan McCallum, Director
Bath and West Community Energy, Pete Capener, Managing Director
Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-operative (BHESCo), Kayla Ente, CEO & Founder
Bristol Energy Network, David Tudgey, Project Development Manager
Circular Malton & Norton CIC, Sue Jefferson, Director
CREW Energy, Toby Costin, Chair
Datblygiadau Egni Gwledig (DEG), Grant Peisley, Director
Dorset Community Energy, Pete West, Director
East Dorset Friends of the Earth, Angela Pooley, Group Co-ordinator
Eco Community UK CIC, Helen Tandy, Director
Egni Co-op, Rosie Gillam, Director
EN10ERGY, Mrs Sydney Charles, Vice-chair.
Energise South Community Energy, Julia Hilton, Chair
Energy4All, Mike Smyth, Chair
Energy Alton, John Hubbard, Chairman.
Energy Local, Dr Mary Gillie CEng, Founding director
Energy Oasis, Mike Kaye, Managing Director
Gower Power Co-op CIC, Ant Flanagan, Director
Gower Regeneration, Roy Church, Chair
Greater Manchester Community Renewables Ltd, Kate Eldridge, Director
Green Light, Rosemary Harthill, Convenor
Green Rose Community Interest Company, Georgina Sommerville, Director
Grimsby Community Energy, Dr Vicky Dunn, Secretary
Harborough Energy, Peter Jones OBE, Chair
Kingston Community Energy Project, Tony Wheeler, Project Leader
Lymm Community Energy Ltd, Richard Pearce, Director
Repowering London, Dr. Afsheen Kabir Rashid MBE, CEO
Sheffield Friends of the Earth, Lindy Stone, Coordinator
Sheffield Renewables, Jean Tinsley, Company Secretary
South Brent Community Energy Society, Edward Chapman, Company Secretary,
South Dartmoor Community Energy, Sophie Philips, Chair
South East London Community Energy (SELCE), Alex Hartley, Co-founder/director
South Somerset Community Energy Society, John Christmas, Chair
Sustainable Harborough Community, Rev Brian Davies, Chairman
Sustaining Dunbar, Philip Revell, Director
Swansea Community Energy and Enterprise Scheme, Gareth Tucker, Chair
Teign Energy Communities, Fuad Al-Tawil, Director & company secretary
Transition Exeter, Gill Westcott, Co-Chair
Transition Town Berkhamsted, John Bell, Secretary
Yealm Community Energy, Peter M Brown FRCS, Chairman
YnNi Teg, Rob Proctor, Director
Zero Carbon Harrogate, Fiona Jones, Secretary
Zero Carbon Yorkshire, Tony Hermann, Trustee
(75 signatories when sent on 26 May)