A BIG shout-out for Community Energy at Earthfest, London

What do we mean by community energy? What are the opportunities? The challenges? And how do we encourage communities to get on board?

These are just some of the questions that Syed Ahmed, CEO, Community Energy London, put to our CEO, Anna Burrage and Harold Garner, Head of Climate, Air Quality & Energy at the London Borough of Camden, in a panel discussion at Earthfest, London, a flagship event during London Climate Action Week.

A heated debate

Taking place on the hottest June day on record, in Camden’s aptly named Vision Hall, the importance of a community-driven energy transition was the big take-home message.

Anna talked about the opportunity for communities to invest in local projects such as Power Up’s successful solar projects at Parliament Hill and Regent High schools in Camden, what it takes to carry out a deep retrofit of community buildings (eg Caxton House Community Centre, Islington), plus how we’re scaling our ambition with a place-based approach through our Archway Community Energy Organisation.

And while more detail is needed on the Government’s Local Power Plan, the panel agreed that opportunities to expand community energy are huge.

It’s about people too

With energy debt at the highest level ever, Anna stressed that’s it’s vital that fuel-poor individuals are supported too. This is at the heart of Power Up’s work, boosted recently by additional funding for our Energy Advice service. More on this soon.

A big vision

Asked what they wanted to see in the future, Harold shared his vision of a solar array on the roof at Kings Cross Station realised through the community energy model, and Anna shared her excitement about what community energy can do.

Mission accomplished

Syed was on a mission to educate and excite the audience in the Vision Hall about community energy too. The show of hands at the end of the debate demonstrated it was mission accomplished!

A big thank you to Associate, Coltrane Morley Williams for supporting us on the day!