UK launches £10m community wind, solar & storage fund

Rural and local communities across England will be able to bid for funding from a new £10 million UK government fund aimed at setting up local energy projects including small-scale wind farms, rooftop solar, and battery storage.

The funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will “help to kickstart projects including small-scale wind farms and rooftop solar partnerships, as well as battery storage, rural heat networks, electric vehicle charging points, and fuel poverty alleviation schemes - all proposed, designed and owned by local people,” a department statement said.

The so-called Community Energy Fund will open to applications in the early autumn, the department said.

Minister for Nuclear and Networks Andrew Bowie said: “Local communities are at the heart of our plans to boost our energy security and grow the economy. The Community Energy Fund for England will empower communities to do just that. With it, they’ll be able to drive forward innovative energy projects that will have a lasting positive impact, bringing costs down, building stronger communities, and securing clean energy for generations to come. Importantly, these energy projects could expand beyond local areas by attracting further investment from the private sector, in turn inspiring other communities to power their area with energy from England.”

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