This week’s announcement of the government’s Local Power Plan, backed by a funding commitment from government of £1 billion, is huge news for community energy. It’s the largest public investment in UK history, and many brilliant people across our sector have worked tirelessly to make it happen.
At Ovesco, we’re celebrating alongside everyone else. But we’re also here to tell you what this actually means for East Sussex, because we’ve been doing community energy right here since 2007, and we know exactly what’s possible when communities own their power.
What Community Energy Looks Like in Practice
Remember those solar panels on Harvey’s Brewery depot? One of our earliest projects back in 2011.
Harvey’s gets clean, affordable electricity at a fixed price, but here’s the really brilliant bit: local people invested in those panels. They earn a return, Harvey’s benefits from free energy, and the profits stay right here in our community instead of disappearing to distant shareholders. That’s community energy in action.
Or take our Sunny Solar Schools programme. Seven local schools now have solar panels generating clean energy. In just the last four years, they’ve saved over £158,000 on energy bills! Money that stays in education, not energy company pockets.
And the Meadow Blue Community Energy solar farm near Chichester? It’s 100% community-owned and has given £30,000 to the Sussex Kelp Restoration Project, supporting Chichester’s local community centre to green their building, and £25,000 to their local Voluntary Action Group. Who decided where these profits would go? The local people who own the solar farm vote on what projects to fund, based on what’s important to their community.
Why This New Investment Matters Here
The Local Power Plan will support over 1,000 projects like these across the UK. For East Sussex, that means:
- More schools and community buildings cutting their energy bills with solar
- More local renewable energy projects keeping wealth in our communities
- More grants and loans to turn good ideas into reality
- More opportunities for communities to own a stake in renewable energy on their doorstep
The plan prioritises areas that have been underserved and promises to develop mandatory shared ownership, meaning everyone benefits when renewable energy is built nearby, not just big energy companies.
What Happens Next
Applications are expected later this year. We’ll be ready! And we’ll be here to support other communities who want to follow our path.
Community energy isn’t just theory. We’ve been proving it works for nearly twenty years. This investment means we can do so much more.
Learn more: Local Power Plan | Community Energy England