Seven community projects across the North West have been awarded a share of just over £95k to help support locally-generated electricity in the region.
Electricity North West has awarded the funds as part of its popular Powering our Communities scheme.
The scheme supports the development of community and local energy initiatives in the region to help make them a reality.
Helen Seagrave, Electricity North West’s community energy manager, said: “Community energy has a major role to play in helping the North West meet future energy needs and its ambitious net zero targets.
“Achieving those targets requires everybody to play their part and these local projects will certainly help hundreds of thousands of customers within our region.
“This is the fifth year of our Powering our Communities scheme and takes the total number of projects we have supported across the North West to 33 in different types of communities ranging from communities of place to communities of interest or faith. We were really impressed by the strength of the applications this year, the approved projects will undoubtedly make a difference locally and I can’t wait to see the final outcomes.”
In Oldham, Energy4All has been awarded £15,000 to reinvigorate a proposal to create a wind farm on a site close to Denshaw.
Meanwhile, more than £32k has been awarded to three projects across Lancashire as Bickerstaff Children’s Services will spend £12.2k funding staff resources at Skelmersdale Community Energy Association which will help develop a business plan to deliver a community owned renewable energy scheme.
Barnacre with Bonds Parish Council have been given £15,000 deliver a community engagement and a feasibility study for a low carbon heat solution in the village of Calder Vale.
Also in Bacup, Rossendale Valley Energy have £15,000 to engage their community on their plans for a large solar farm and for a project to transform a terraced street to net-zero.
Cumbria Action for Sustainability will extend its Solar made Easy project with an additional £15,000. The project links households and community buildings to local installers and community energy groups to facilitate solar panel installations.
Power for People and Charge my Street have been awarded £22.5k which will benefit customers throughout the North West.
The Charge my Street team will use £12.5k will develop its app so community buildings can sell their surplus power to co-located Charge my Street EV charge points and Power for People will use £10k by creating a project will enable North West community energy groups to take part in the formation of a national policy for the right to local supply.
Find out more about this year’s projects and the Powering Our Community fund at www.enwl.co.uk/communityandlocalenergy.
