Surrey County Council has partnered with Community Energy South to support community-led renewable energy projects in Surrey.

Community energy projects aim to provide low-carbon heat and power to communities, organised and managed by local people. They can be a great way to tackle the climate emergency as a community, provide green energy and reduce bills for residents.

A community energy project could be anything from installing solar panels on a local school to creating a wind farm.

Marisa Heath, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, said, “28% of the emissions in Surrey are from the energy used to heat and light our homes. By increasing the amount of green energy produced, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint as a county. Community energy projects are a fantastic way of empowering communities to generate their own green energy and we’re delighted to be able to support this in Surrey.”

The programme will see Community Energy South supporting people in Surrey to generate, own and manage renewable energy installations. The initiative will provide resources, business development, funding and networking opportunities to kick start new community-led organisations.

To start with, Community Energy South would like to hear from residents who are already involved in community energy projects in Surrey or would like to set one up.

Ollie Pendered, Chief Executive of Community Energy South said, “We are thrilled to be working with Surrey County Council to support the growth of community energy across the county. We are excited to discover what projects are already underway and hear about new ideas that are out there. Through our partnership we will find ways to support new projects and groups going forward so that community energy can thrive in Surrey.”

Community Energy South (CES) is a not-for-profit company set up in 2013 to support the network of community energy groups in the South East of England. One of the leading energy agencies supporting the road to zero carbon in the south east, CES acts as a voice for the community energy sector developing new routes to market and capacity building.

You can get involved here: https://www.surreysays.co.uk/environment-and-infrastructure/community-energy-in-surrey/

If you have news for Sussex and Surrey, contact us on news@susyradio.com