
Happy New Year! We’re ready to get cracking on supporting more communities to enjoy the benefits of local clean energy and the Uk’s transition to net zero.
Energy Local team expands into Scotland

Welcome to Mhairi Tordoff, our new club development officer!
Mhairi is based in Kinlochleven in the Scottish Highlands (coincidentally a pioneering village that had every house connected to electricity thanks to an early 1900s hydro scheme).
She has recently been working as a development officer for the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub and has fantastic experience of collaborating with communities on climate action projects.
For Energy Local, she will be helping people across the UK, particularly in Scotland and the north of England, to set up clubs and share the benefits of local renewable energy.
More funding for Eryri/Snowdonia heat and power project
Our community heat and power project with partners in Eryri/Snowdonia is taking shape, with two staff appointed to get things moving.

As well as financing from the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme, our Tanygrisiau village partnership with Cwmni Bro Ffestiniog and Cyngor Gwynedd (Gwynedd Council) has won further funding from the Heat Network Delivery Unit (HDNU).
This UK government fund provides grants and guidance to local authorities and others on heat network project development.
The financing will help support this pioneering integrated project with plans to decarbonise heat and power in this Welsh mountain village, as well as install energy efficiency measures in old houses.
New year, new renewables for you?
If your new year’s resolution is to expand renewable energy generation in your area, there is plenty of advice and support out there for you. Community Energy Wales, Community Energy Scotland and Community Energy England all provide advice on getting started.
If you’re a registered charity, community interest company, co-operative society and community benefit society, it’s also worth registering with the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme, so that you receive a notification when one of their regular funding rounds opens.
These funds must be used to deliver energy-related projects that meet the scheme priorities and can include making homes more energy efficient.
In 2025 we’ll also be watching the development of GB Energy with interest, particularly how funding for the Local Power Plan unfolds. We’ll keep you posted.
Low levels of gas storage highlight the need for more UK renewables
The January cold snap and still weather has led to concerns about the UK’s gas storage levels and power production, because of the nation’s reliance on gas heating and reduced generation from wind turbines.
In Energy Local’s view this boosts the case for installing different types of renewables that produce power under different conditions (eg solar, hydro, as well as wind plus storage) and local renewable heat networks.
As well as accelerating decarbonisation, this is the only way for the UK to ensure our energy independence and ability to heat and power our citizens’ homes.
It also shows that managing power demand – incentivising people to use electricity across different times of the day – and widely distributed local generation will be crucial for maintaining resilience. As a nation, we cannot control the consequences of climate change or geopolitical problems, but we can shed our reliance on fossil fuels and foreign energy imports.
Every 2nd Monday of the month we hold a drop-in session at 2pm for officials, advisors, and any interested club members or upcoming club organisers. Send us an email if you would like to join the call.
We also hold regular introductory calls for anyone interested in
setting up a club - the details for these can be found on the Energy Local website.