In case you haven’t heard it on the news this morning, GB Energy has launched it’s Local Power Plan which is great news for our growing community energy groups here in Essex.

This represents the biggest public investment in community energy the UK has ever made, backed by up to £1 billion through GB Energy

The plan offers:

• Direct funding and low‑interest loans for community-led renewable projects.
• Technical, legal and commercial support from GBE to help projects overcome planning, grid and development challenges.
• Work to remove national barriers such as PPAs, early‑stage finance and grid access.
• See ‘funding routes’ screenshot attached

What this means for Essex groups:
This is a major opportunity to accelerate solar, wind, heat and storage projects across the county. Community ownership and shared‑ownership models are now explicitly supported nationally, meaning more ambitious projects are within reach.

What we need to do individually:

• Identify potential project sites (roofs, land, public buildings).
• Strengthen governance and readiness.
• Build local partnerships and demonstrate community support.
• Funding application intake is Spring ‘26
• Pilot/flagship projects Summer ‘26

What we need to do collectively as the Essex Community Energy Network:

• Build a shared Essex-wide project pipeline to maximise funding opportunities.
• Share expertise, templates and procurement through a joint support hub.
• Continue to work with the Energy and Low Carbon team to unlock sites, PPAs and development support.
• Engage developers as a unified voice on shared ownership and grid issues.

This is a once‑in‑a‑generation moment for community energy in Essex, and working together will put us in the strongest position to benefit from the Local Power Plan.