How to support community energy in your local authority area

Insights for local authorities

Community energy is gaining new prominence as local authorities look for practical, place-based ways to cut energy costs and accelerate their net zero ambitions. These two companion reports provide a comprehensive foundation for any council who wants to understand what community energy is, why it matters, and how to build an effective, locally adapted support programme.

The Background Information Pack sets the scene, highlighting that community energy has no single universal definition, but typically involves local groups developing, owning, or governing energy projects that deliver social, economic and environmental benefits.

Those benefits are significant. Data presented in the pack shows how community energy generates local investment, reduces bills, creates jobs and volunteering opportunities, strengthens community cohesion, and contributes meaningful carbon savings. The pack also introduces the “key ingredients” required for successful projects and sets out seven roles local authorities can play in establishing a viable community energy project, from promotion and knowledge sharing to building long-term partnerships.

The Process Guidance goes on to provide a practical pathway that can help any local authority provide a tailored support programme. It starts by showing councils how to build their own local definition of community energy. It then walks through how to map potential stakeholders, the best ways to engage with these target groups, and how to undertake a needs and opportunities assessment. As a final step, it shows how a local authority can shape a realistic set of actions aligned to local capacity and ambition. This structured approach is reinforced by practical templates and prompts, as well as real-world case stories to evidence where it has worked.

These two reports offer a clear, evidence-based foundation, both for those already active in community energy or those just beginning to explore the opportunity. Together, they emphasise that community energy succeeds where councils act as enablers, convenors and champions.

Key findings

• Successful community energy relies on multiple ingredients, across residents and within local council. Local support must address these holistic needs, and not just rely on single interventions.
• Local authorities can influence momentum by mapping and convening stakeholders, aligning roles, and shaping the conditions in which community energy can thrive.
• Following this structured, step-by-step process will help councils define what community energy means for them, and then design a support programmes grounded in local realities, capacity, and community ambition.