Cllr. Wilson represented the parish council at a Zoom webinar organised by Electricity North West Limited (ENWL). As Distribution Network Operator for our area, ENWL has a pivotal role in enabling and assisting communities to transition away from dependence on fossil fuels for home heating and private transport, because that transition means using, and generating, more electricity locally, which in turn depends on the capacity of the local grid to accommodate more heat pumps, EV chargers, photovoltaics and small wind turbines.
More than 100 people attended the session, and heard presentations from representatives of several national and regional organisations which help communities to take action on carbon reduction.
Jodie Giles of Regen set the scene by emphasising that the climate emergency demands that we start large-scale action now, not next year or in 2049; that we already have the technology; and that it requires all of us to collaborate and to change how we live. Local community-owned generation run by local people brings social benefits; tackling climate change also tackles fuel poverty (cold homes) e.g. profits can fund community benefits such as home insulation schemes, and legislation changes may in the future enable local people to buy their community-generated electricity more cheaply. She suggested that small communities could join forces and think big, rather than each negotiating all the hurdles that stand in the way of multiple small schemes.
Ro Baker and Molly Hogg of Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) advised looking at what other communities have done, and starting with easier, popular initiatives, such as PV panels on a school roof or other public building.
Laura Williams and Britt Jurgenssen of the Carbon Co-op talked about Oldham Energy Futures. They started their project by selecting a small representative (age/gender/race balance) core group to develop a plan, then inviting input from the wider community.
Community Energy South helps rural communities switch to low-carbon heating – in most cases this means “off oil” – in line with UK government’s Clean Growth Strategy. Olli Pendered described helping villages make energy plans, whose success depends on providing comfort, affordability and a smooth transition for all households. One benefit of making a community plan is that the electricity grid has the opportunity to anticipate and meet the demands created by the changes, rather than having to deal with them piecemeal. To generate start-up finance, a project in Barcombe, Sussex, offers bonds to residents; the better-off can buy them, and the money is used to provide low-interest loans to enable less well-off residents to make the switch.
Community Energy England represents the interests of community energy groups, and of organisations that support their development, by advocating government policy change, working to resolve regulatory issues, and urging network operators like ENWL to work faster to facilitate the transition.
The Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) is provided by the government, and its senior delivery officer in the north-west is Kate Gilmartin, who is already working with several community groups. Initially she can help with scoping (what steps and resources would be needed to bring an idea to fruition). Suitable projects can then apply for a £40K grant for a feasibility study, and if that goes well, for a £100K development grant. Behind the RCEF is a recognition that the next 10-15 years are critical for decarbonisation, and that community level action is key to that process.
Cllr. Richard Wilson, March 2021