Community Energy Wales: ‘Let our communities realise energy potential’
A new report from Community Energy Wales has called to remove the barriers that lock out communities from building energy projects for themselves.
Community Energy Wales is a not for profit membership organisation that provides assistance and a voice to community groups working on energy projects in Wales.
The organisation aims to help create the conditions in Wales that allow community energy projects to flourish, and communities to prosper.
Ben Ferguson Co-executive Director said “We have known for some time that the technology and appetite is there for communities to deliver energy projects for themselves – the problem is that we’re operating in an energy market that doesn’t allow for small and medium sized energy businesses to exist.”
The barriers to community energy businesses remain fundamentally the same as they have since 2016 – no route to market, the cost and effort of consenting, and the cost of connecting to the energy grid. These barriers have led to the stalled capacity increasing from 24.8MW in 2023 to 42.8MW in just one year.
Ben Ferguson said “On the one hand we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure unmeasured benefits from technological transformation.
“On the other, a comprehensive failure to do anything to take that opportunity. The responsibility for that sits squarely on the shoulders of policy makers and regulators both in Wales and at San Steffan who know the barriers, and have persistently failed to remove them.”
Recently, Community Energy Wales released their manifesto for the 2026 Senedd Elections A Vision for Energy Communities.
According to Community Energy Wales, the document that sets out how communities can take control, build wealth, and make bills cheaper as we change our energy system.
Leanne Wood, Co-executive Director said “We have the answers to these roadblocks. We must make it easier for communities to sell energy to their neighbours, and match as much local generation with demand as possible.
“That’s the sort of energy market that communities will be able to take part in, benefit from, and make work for them.”
Read Community Energy Wales’ State of the Sector report Realising our potential, creating thriving communities here: SOTS-2025-English.pdf
Read Community Energy Wales’ manifesto here: Community-Energy-Wales-Manifesto-2026.pdf
Join RhanNi, the movement for community energy in Wales here: Community Energy Wales | rhanni
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