Renewable energy deep dive biannual recommendations update 3 - Community and local energy

Recommendation    

We will scale up resources to support community and local renewable energy in Wales including:

a.    From the Welsh Government Energy Service with staff and financial support to ensure coverage for community owned heat, energy efficiency and transport project development (with continuation for renewable electricity) and support for shared ownership
b.    Action from government to encourage private developers to include options for shared local and community ownership including through tenders issued on public land.
c.    Welsh Government funding to build additional capacity in community enterprises to help them start to scale their work and mentor smaller organisations, to create a larger, sustainable sector.

Key highlights / milestones    

• Funding to build additional capacity in community enterprises to help them start to scale their work has been given in the form of resource grants.  

Next steps towards completion

• This recommendation is complete. We will continue to take forward the recommendations from the Renewable Energy Deep Dive.
• This work has naturally evolved into the Ynni Cymru programme.
• Recipients of the resource grant funding are engaged with Ynni Cymru as part of the community stakeholder working group.

Recommendation  

CEW & Publicly Owned Developer (Ynni Cymru)

We will ensure that the community owned sector is involved and gains input into Ynni Cymru considering the following 3 options:

a.    The community energy sector has a stake in the publicly owned developer 
b.    WG invest in an existing community energy organisation to deliver this work e.g., YnNi Teg, Egni or a Coop of Energy Coops
c.    WG invest in both the publicly owned energy developer and a community owned energy developer = two bodies with resource to develop projects.
 

Key highlights / milestones 

• Ynni Cymru will expand community owned renewable energy and smart local energy systems, which retain the benefits in Wales.
• Through consultation with the energy sector and key stakeholders such as CEW and the Energy Service, we are starting to identify immediate emerging priorities and activities for Ynni Cymru.
• The publicly owned large scale developer, Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, is informed by a community representative on the Board.

Next steps towards completion

• We are currently developing the business case for Ynni Cymru, which will outline its scope, remit, and parameters of work.  
• Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru will be launched in the spring, with an independent Board which will include non-executive competence in maximising community value from the developer’s work.

Recommendation    

We will improve access to the public estate for the community energy sector via (a) community enterprises have rights to first proposal if not developed by a public body (b) structuring tendering processes to favour socially minded projects / community schemes.

Key highlights / milestones    

• Work continues to identify opportunities on the woodland estate for wind development.

Next steps towards completion

• When Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru is operational and sets out its development strategy, the subject of further access to the estate for community groups can be considered. This will include an assessment of community development capacity and appetite to take forward projects.
• As LAEPs are finalised we will support the community energy sector to consider how best community groups can help deliver the generation opportunities they identify.

Recommendation    

We will finalise and publicise the guidance on shared ownership, including what meets the definition of 'shared ownership', and work closely with private developers to maximise impact. We will publish the guidance in spring 2022.

Key highlights / milestones    

Previous updates have provided information on the publication of guidance on Shared Ownership of Energy Project in Wales.

Next steps towards completion

• This recommendation is complete. We will continue to take forward the recommendations from the Renewable Energy Deep Dive.