Thirty community renewable energy projects across England have been awarded funding from government’s £15-million Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF).
A joint initiative between the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the RCEF was set up to help community groups based in rural areas develop their own local renewable energy projects.
Administered by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the fund provides up to £150,000 of funding to individual projects for feasibility and pre-planning development work to help make them ‘investment ready’.
The first 30 projects receiving funding cover a range of technologies, including anaerobic digestion, solar power, hydro power, wind power and low carbon heat networks.
Community organisations that received funding in this first round include: Witton Park Community Association; Farmeco Community Care Ltd; Bootle in Cumbria Community Interest Company; Hett Village Hall Association; Linnet Clough Scout Camp; and Exeter Diocese.
Giving renewable energy a ‘boost from the ground up’
Speaking of the allocation of funding, Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: “It’s great to see so many communities across the UK benefitting from local clean energy. I want to see more communities becoming producers of energy – powering schools, market towns and community centres sustainably – and boosting their economy at the same time.
“It’s initiatives like this that are so important for achieving my vision for the Big 60,000 and I wish WRAP every continued success.”
Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Dan Rogerson added: “This fund will strengthen the rural economy, safeguard the environment, and will allow communities to unlock the potential of renewable energy. Since launching we’ve seen a wide range of projects given the green light and I urge more people to apply and make the most of this opportunity to get their local project off the ground.”
Commenting on behalf of WRAP, Director Richard Swannell said: “RCEF is helping communities to not only think about renewable energy, but achieve it and reap the benefits locally.
“I’m delighted by the interest we’ve received, and the ambitious nature of projects we’ve had in the first year. It’s helped give renewable energy a boost from the ground up.”
WRAP has said that 'more projects' are currently going through the assessment process, and 'many more' are expected to receive financial support over the six year lifetime of the fund.
See the current live projects on the RCEF live projects map.
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