Community membership organisation supports innovation across Wales to find local solutions to climate change

An umbrella body for not-for-profit community energy groups is going from strength to strength in supporting local ownership of clean and affordable energy.

Established in 2012, Community Energy Wales (CEW) delivers assistance, information and network opportunities to the country’s community energy groups.

CEW has banked with Unity Trust Bank since 2017 and supports over 60 members on a variety of projects to help Wales become greener and cleaner.

Ben Ferguson, Co-executive director, said: “The community energy sector is about localism. Our mission as an organisation is to support and accelerate the transition to a fair, zero carbon and community-led energy system.

“We want to see less money leaking out of the local economies by trading energy more locally.

“We’re really pleased to use an ethical bank like Unity because what we do is all about social business. Unity is our bank of choice because they offer banking services with an ethical foundation.”

Impact

CEW supports members such as Egni Coop. This is a co-op which installs solar panels on school roofs and runs awareness programmes for pupils.

CEW also runs its own projects such as YnNI Teg. The development of a 900kw turbine near Carmarthenshire which generates clean, community owned energy.

Through Big Lottery funding CEW’s transport working group is launching a ‘car club’. It will see electric vehicles being shared in local communities.

And Cartrefi Clyd – a recently launched website – provides a one-stop shop for homeowners seeking energy advice.

“Whether it’s doing projects ourselves or supporting other projects, we bring our sector together to share knowledge and wisdom,” said Ben.

“We recently received additional funding from Welsh Government which will help us grow further. We’re also actively supporting the Local Electricity Bill as giving local projects the power to generate and sell to local bill payers and is the single biggest thing we can do to transform our energy system.”