News & Articles on Community Power
Developing renewable energy on the scale needed to make the energy transition will require public acceptance. Unlike nuclear power, where society can force a single plant on a community for the benefit of society at large, renewable energy will have to become ubiquitous in our communities and on our landscapes. This can only be possible when the majority accept this transformation. Experience has taught that acceptance is greatest when neighbors and the community at large can participate in the renewable energy revolution. The beauty of renewable energy is that everyone can take part–and own a stake in their future–when given an opportunity to do so. The challenge is creating the policies that make this possible, whether it’s for a community wind project or a solar garden.
International symposium on Community Power
By
Wwea
The symposium called “Trends in Community Power – the Future Role of SMEs and Energy Cooperatives” was held in the Nordsee Congress Center on 15 September 2015. It was hosted by the World Wind Energy Association WWEA in cooperation with the German Wind Energy Association BWE, the European federation of groups and cooperatives of citizens for renewable energy REScoop and the Global 100% Renewable Energy campaign go100re.net.
Developers collaborate to claim UK’s first split community-commercial solar farm
By
Liam Stoker
The 9.1MWp Braydon Manor Farm near Swindon comprises a 5MWp community-owned area which has been backed by community energy group Mongoose Energy and WWCE.
26 MW wind farm with 90 percent local ownership in Germany
By
Craig Morris
The new project is therefore all the more encouraging. As the press release explains, “no privately-owned (sic) wind farm in southern Germany has as large a citizen share.” With a hub height of 137 meters, the turbines are the kind of design that our Bernard Chabot calls the “silent wind revolution.”
Nova Scotia: Construction of $18-million wind turbine project to begin in November
By
Greg Mcneil
Construction on Cape Breton University’s $18-million wind farm is expected to begin in November.
Nova Scotia pulls plug on community tariff
By
Diane Bailey
he Nova Scotia government in Canada has pulled the plug on a programme that encouraged the development of small-scale, community-based renewable-energy projects, despite strong demand from local residents wanting to invest in wind.
Great Britain: Two Swindon solar farms to go ahead
By
Peter Bennett
Both the projects are being developed as split-ownership projects which offer local communities the opportunity to invest in the sites, and both sites have secured pre-accreditation under the feed-in tariff.
Growth of energy co-ops slows down in Germany
By
German cooperative association DGRV says new registrations of energy cooperatives fell by 60 percent in 2014. The organization says amendments to the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) from 2014 are the reason, but there was another as well.
What the switch from FITs to auctions means
By
Craig Morris
If we are going to talk about the technical need for utilities as aggregators, we should admit that the people who brought about this transition over the past 25 years will be demoted as market players in the process.
Investors Declare Independence from Utility Takeover–Form Coop to Rescue Defunct German Wind Developer
By
Paul Gipe
In a stunning turn in the battle between corporate domination of renewable energy and community ownership, a cooperative of German investors has rescued defunct commercial wind developer Prokon.
New community wind farm in UK is largest ever
By
Craig Morris
This month, construction of the Beinn Ghrideag wind farm was completed. In the next few months, three 3 MW Enercon wind turbines are expected to start power production. A comparison with a recent German committee project is illustrative.
