Powering up community energy
Ashden’s policy recommendations
In a future where more of the energy people use will be generated locally, community energy will play a distinctive role by creating social value and local benefits.
Community energy projects also give people a meaningful stake in the energy transition, with the chance to own or control how power is generated locally. Projects create local savings, build skills and jobs, and create lasting community wealth – while also cutting emissions and strengthening public support for climate action.
The Government’s Local Power Plan, to be published in early 2026, must deliver maximum support for community energy. Doing so will bring economic benefits to every corner of the UK, and drive progress to the Government’s own ‘clean power by 2030’ target.
This means delivering the eight gigawatts of community, council-led and shared ownership schemes set out in the Great British Energy founding statement in 2025. But it also means Government serving as an active partner in projects up and down the country – and ensuring marginalised communities are prioritised for support.
Government can achieve this by adopting our four policy asks on community energy. These were created with think tank Common Wealth, community membership organisation Locality, and think-do tank Power to Change, and in partnership with the Energy Learning Network.
Our community energy policy asks
Invest £1 billion a year in local and community energy, with 25 per cent ringfenced for disadvantaged communities — ensuring those most affected by the energy crisis are at the front of the queue for local projects.
Create a stable price floor for all community energy exports and enable local energy markets — fixing broken market incentives so that homegrown, clean power can earn a fair price and schemes can scale up.
Invest in long-term capacity building as core infrastructure — investing in the people, skills, and organisations that will deliver the transition on the ground.
Establish GB Energy, the new national energy company, as a strategic partner to communities and shared ownership models — not just a national developer but a co-owner and enabler of local projects.
Get in touch
To learn more about our policy work on community energy, contact UK Policy Lead Will Walker.
Will Walker, UK Policy Lead
will.walker@ashden.org
Ashden is a partner in the Energy Learning Network, powering the growth of community energy. See how we bring insights and mentoring to organisations around the UK.
Our joint report with think tank Common Wealth explores our policy asks in more detail – and features case studies of community energy success.