A network operator in England has made grants of up to £15,000 available for at least five organisations to finance new or expanded community energy projects mostly located in its licence area.
Electricity North West, the power network operator for the North West of England, launched the fourth round of its Powering our Communities fund on 23 September.
The operator will take applications from any kind of community group seeking to participate in such projects, for example community benefit societies, industrial provident societies, charities, schools or local authorities, and also partnerships with businesses.
It is offering grants of £1,000 and £15,000 from the maximum available fund of £75,000. Applications for the fund must be submitted via the website by November 5th and successful applicants will be notified in January 2022.
In July, the operator proposed to set up a yearly £1 million community energy fund for its next price control period in 2023-2028 or ED2.
The company said in a statement on 28 July that the proposal was a result of its "extensive" engagement with customers and stakeholders over the past years. It found that regional stakeholders wanted to go beyond the national target and deliver net-zero goals "sooner," whilst involving themselves in the transition.
The funding comes an opportune time for the struggling community energy sector.
Helen Seagrave, the company's community energy manager, said an annual survey had highlighted a lack of funding and challenges with renewable energy business models for community energy at the moment.
"As the region’s network operator, we will play a key role in supporting our customers, including community and local energy groups to meet their net-zero transition. It’s our job to make sure our network is fit for the future, to meet the changing needs of our customers and to lead the way on our journey to net zero," Seagrave said.
