Central Bedfordshire
At the start of the project, Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) sought to catalyse local climate action and build community resilience from the ground up. The goal was to transform resident passion into a self-sustaining community energy sector.
Through our capacity building programme, we provided frameworks and mentorship and leveragedover £150,000 in funding. The programme established Community Benefit Societies, trained founders, and guided the development of both ‘powering up’ and ‘powering down’ projects.
The initiative has successfully launched a thriving community energy ecosystem with a profound impact. The programme incubated three new start-up community energy businesses, employed four new employees and mobilised thirteen founding directors for the three community energy groups. The groups kicked off with energy advice delivery to hundreds of cold homes. There is now a robust project pipeline set to deliver over 5MW of renewable energy, including an innovative shared ownership solar farm project and a collaborative rooftop solar project involving a construction company and the public sector.
“When I first signed up to be involved in setting up a community energy group for Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, I never imagined that I would be embarking on this incredible journey.
The team at CEP have been amazing, taking us through all the stages and providing training, help and support along the way. Everything was done in a professional manner but also friendly and encouraging so that we never felt overwhelmed or under pressure. In fact, quite the opposite, I felt that what we were doing was part of a growing movement across the country to do something positive and constructive regarding climate change, energy security for our country and helping our local communities.
There has been lots to learn and many hurdles to overcome but having CEP to advise us and help us has been invaluable and is the reason why we are still moving forward on lots of projects. Everyone at CEP is so positive and I thank them for being so inspiring.”
Gennaro Borelli, Chair Buzz Community Energy
“Our partnership with Community Energy Pathways has been innovative and together we have helped empower local residents. Since 2022, their expertise and structured approach have enabled us to embed community energy as part of our Sustainability Plan. Together, we’ve supported the creation of three Community Benefit Societies, delivered tailored training, and launched energy advice initiatives reaching over 500 homes. Their guidance helped secure vital funding and identify potential renewable projects totalling over 5MW. Community Energy Pathways has been an invaluable partner in building capacity, fostering collaboration, and driving forward our vision for a low-carbon, community-led future.”
Sara Earl, Sustainability Manager