TO BE PUBLISHED October 2026
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This conference will focus on next steps for community energy across the UK, as implementation begins on plans for £1bn of investment through Great British Energy aimed at increasing community involvement in the development and ownership of local energy projects. Areas for discussion include funding and support for project development, local supply and access to energy markets, grid connections and energy planning, and approaches to community ownership, local benefit and public participation.
It will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss implementation of GBE’s Local Power Plan and the practical arrangements needed for communities across the country to have the opportunity to own and benefit from locally owned energy by 2030. Discussion will draw on the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee’s report on unlocking community energy at scale, including concerns around whether current regulation and delivery arrangements are sufficient to meet the Government’s ambitions and the disadvantages that community projects can face compared with commercial developers.
Project development, investment & support
The agenda will examine how funding under the Local Power Plan will be allocated and used to bring forward a stronger pipeline of projects. Delegates will consider access to early-stage development finance, the balance between grants, loans and longer-term investment, and the role of GBE in supporting projects through development, financing and delivery.
Further discussion is expected on the practical support needed by community energy organisations, including technical and legal expertise, commercial planning, governance and procurement. Attendees will assess how support can be made accessible to organisations of different sizes and levels of experience, including those that rely heavily on volunteers or have limited capacity to develop complex energy projects.
The conference will also consider approaches to attracting private and institutional investment alongside public funding, including shared ownership, community shares and other forms of blended finance. Areas for discussion include how projects can establish dependable long-term income, manage commercial risk and attract investment while maintaining meaningful community involvement and control.
Regulation, market access & the role of local supply
Sessions will consider the role of community-owned generation and local supply within the future energy system, including the scope for communities to sell or share electricity locally and develop services that respond to local needs. Delegates will discuss the potential contribution of community energy to reducing fuel poverty, improving energy resilience and supporting local economic development.
Priorities for reform of electricity supply licensing and local market arrangements will be assessed, including proposals for local tariffs, peer-to-peer trading and community supply models. Delegates will also consider power purchase agreements and other routes to market, together with the scope for community projects to participate more fully in electricity and flexibility markets.
Further discussion is expected on changes to the Balancing and Settlement Code and the approach taken by Ofgem and other bodies responsible for market rules. Attendees will consider whether regulatory, administrative and market requirements are proportionate for smaller organisations, and what further changes are needed to enable community projects to operate on a sustainable basis once they have been developed.
Financial sustainability, governance & local benefit
The agenda will examine the longer-term financial viability of community energy projects, including access to finance, revenue certainty and the capacity of organisations to manage projects over their full lifetime. Delegates will assess the relationship between public investment, private finance and income from energy markets, and the conditions needed for projects to remain financially viable over the longer-term.
Attendees will also consider the respective roles of local authorities, community organisations, developers and other delivery partners. This will include approaches to community and shared ownership, governance and consumer protection, and arrangements for enabling local people to share in the benefits arising from low-carbon energy infrastructure.
Discussion will examine how those benefits should be identified and assessed, including lower energy costs, community funds, local employment and investment, greater resilience and support for vulnerable households. Delegates will also consider how progress should be measured beyond the amount of generating capacity installed, and how community energy might contribute to wider objectives for local economic development and public participation.
Planning, network co-ordination & local capacity
Further sessions will consider barriers to project delivery, including planning constraints, skills and capacity pressures, delays in grid connections and limits on network capacity. Delegates will assess implications of planning and network reforms for community projects, including connection delays, curtailment and other risks that may arise after a project has become operational.
The agenda will look at implications of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 and recent reform to the National Planning Policy Framework. Attendees will consider priorities for more consistent decision-making, stronger local delivery capacity and effective community participation in the development of energy infrastructure.
The conference will also examine how community energy is reflected in Local Area Energy Plans, Regional Energy Spatial Plans and the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan. Discussion will consider the respective responsibilities of GBE, government, Ofgem, network operators, local authorities and community organisations, and what is needed to improve co-ordination between national planning, network investment and local project development.
Sessions will also address environmental and biodiversity protections, approaches to community engagement, and the potential impact of local ownership and visible community benefit on public confidence in new energy infrastructure.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for Education; Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade; Department for the Economy, NI; Climate Change Committee; House of Commons Library; Office for Investment; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
