Energy Minister Michael Shanks and Scottish Government Climate Action Minister Alasdair Allan spoke about the future of community energy at an event in Glasgow yesterday.
The Community Power event brought together community energy groups, industry sponsors including SPEN, and the Government ministers, at Strathclyde’s Technology and Innovation Centre.
They discussed how to put more energy into community hands, and how to resolve threats to existing community-owned energy in Scotland.
Community-owned energy benefits local economies and communities, and helps combat climate change.
It funds 128 community benefit funds in Scotland, supporting community businesses, affordable housing, recreation facilities, school buildings and more.
Both the UK and Scottish Governments have stated their support for community energy, and last week the UK Government set out plans to include community energy in GB Energy’s remit.
Community Energy Scotland, who organised the event, welcomed both governments’ ambition for new community energy projects but raised concerns about the risk of losing some community wind projects due to barriers they face when they need to replace the turbines, known as ‘repowering’.
Because Scotland has historically led the way in the UK in terms of renewables and community renewables, hundreds of wind power projects will reach end of their planned lives within the next ten years.
Without a clear route and support for repowering, communities that rely on income from their own renewables could be at risk.
Zoe Holliday, CEO at Community Energy Scotland said:
“Repowering creates a significant challenge for community energy projects, which will need to secure finance, planning and grid consents in order to ensure that their projects can continue to deliver much-needed services for local people.
“With risks, however, come opportunities – both for existing community energy projects to increase in size, and for communities to take full or part ownership of developments currently owned by private developers, in order to maximise the positive impacts coming into their communities.
“All of these risks and opportunities need to be considered in detail, which is why we are calling on the Scottish and UK Government to work together and create a new Repowering working group.”
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:
“Communities in Scotland and across the country should have a stake in our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, enabling local people to benefit from funding for vital public services, community businesses and more.
“That’s why this government is empowering communities to significantly increase the amount of locally developed and owned clean energy through Great British Energy and its Local Power Plan.”
Acting Climate Action Minister Alasdair Allan said:
“Repowering offers the chance to think differently about the opportunities from existing and new renewable energy projects and I’m pleased to be able to explore the topic at Community Energy Scotland’s Community Power and Repowering Event in Glasgow.
“While repowering also presents us with challenges I am keen to work with the sector to explore how we can tackle these head on and ensure a just transition to net zero for our communities.”
