The vision for community energy in 2020 = Communities across the UK owning, generating and saving energy together for the benefit of all.

The Community Energy Coalition (CEC) was formed in 2011 by some of the UK’s most influential and trusted institutions and charities such as the Church of England, the Women’s Institute (WI), the National Union of Students (NUS) and the National Trust. 

Our aim is to ignite an energy revolution which places communities at its heart and strives for a clean, affordable and secure energy system for all. We are achieving this by helping communities across the UK to own, generate and save energy together.

The Community Energy Coalition believe that community energy can and should:

1. Enable all communities to collectively play a substantial role in meeting the UK’s carbon and renewables targets by saving energy and creating a secure, clean and affordable heat and electricity supply

2. Increase the scale of investment in renewable energy and energy saving and attract new individuals, communities and institutions to invest

3. Encourage people to act cooperatively to create sustainable communities and give everyone an equal opportunity to own and control shared assets democratically

4. Respect communities, the landscape and wildlife through genuine stakeholder involvement and management of natural assets for the benefit of current and future generations

5. Increase people’s awareness and support for renewable energy projects and encourage energy saving

 

The Community Energy Coalition are committed to making this happen collectively by:

1. Promoting community energy with our members and wider stakeholders as a powerful voice

2. Sharing best practice and creating an evidence base for the value that community energy creates

3. Asking central, devolved and local Government to join us in dramatically scaling up community and co-operative energy by integrating support for the sector across all policies in a public, long term and stable way and ensuring communities have access to appropriate financial and capacity support

More information

In addition to our vision, the Community Energy Coalition has created a Manifesto for Community Energy which details what we called on the Government to do in support of community energy.

If you're interested in getting involved, get in touch with Forum's Associate Director, Climate and Energy:

Will Dawson

Coalition Members

Ashden

Campaign to Protect Rural England

Centre for Sustainable Energy

The Church of England: Shrinking the Footprint

Client Earth

Communities for Renewables

Communities and Climate Action Alliance

Community Energy England

Community Energy Scotland

Ynni Cymunedol Cymry Community Energy Wales

Consumer Focus

The co-operative energy

Co-operatives UK

CLA: Country Land & Business Association

Eden Project

Energy 4AII

Energy Saving Trust

The Fermanagh Trust

The FSE Group

Fit for the Future

Forum for the Future

Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth Scotland

Green Square

Groundwork

Haringey London Borough Council

IFEES: The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences

Low Carbon Communities Network

Low Carbon Hub

NEA: Action for Warm Homes

National Farmers Union

National Trust

Naturesave Trust

NUS: National Union of Students

Leapfrog

Ramblers

Scene

The Co-operative

Transition Network

The WI

1010uk

*Please note this is an independent coalition, for which Forum for the Future act as convenor.