COLUMN: Harnessing the potential of community power

In my maiden speech delivered in the House of Commons on Friday, July 26, I celebrated a few of Mid Sussex’s brilliant voluntary organisations. In particular I looked at what some local climate and sustainability groups have done to deliver community power generation schemes. 

We urgently need to decentralise our energy production. By empowering local communities to generate their own renewable energy, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint, making our towns and villages more resilient and demonstrating to our young people that we are serious about decarbonising

Community power generation schemes involve local groups, often supported by councils or co-operatives, installing renewable energy sources like solar panels, wind turbines, and bioenergy plants. These projects provide clean energy and reinvest profits back into the community, funding local initiatives and enhancing social cohesion. 

The Brighton Energy Co-operative’s partnership with the Bolney Wine Estate is a great example. Together they have installed solar panels which provide over 50% of the electricity required to produce half a million bottles of wine. This project shows how renewable energy can integrate with local businesses, enhancing both sustainability and economic viability.

Similarly, Greener Hassocks and Ditchling (formerly HKD Transition) set up a community-owned not-for-profit organisation to install hundreds of solar panels on the roof of Downlands Community School, providing green, cheaper electricity for the school and an investment opportunity for local people.

More projects like this could become a reality if the new government works to unlock the blockers to delivering these schemes. Sometimes getting a grid connection can be difficult, taking years to come through, and the potential to put solar panels on the roofs of warehouses and industrial buildings is often overlooked.

It’s time for us to harness local power generation in our communities, not just for our benefit, but for future generations. 

Finally, happy birthday to local charity Kangaroos who are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. On Saturday I went to ‘Kangafest’ and met Jenni who in 1994 was one of a small group of parents who wanted their children with learning disabilities to be able to access after school activities. Congratulations and thank you for all the families you have helped.

As published in the Mid Sussex Times, July 2024