BEN has worked with CSE to write a joint response to the UK Government’s Environmental Audit Committee inquiry into how community energy can contribute to the energy transition and how the government should support it. You can download our joint response here
Local mayoral hustings and elections are fast approaching. There is no time to waste if you want to have your voice heard and contribute to the city of Bristol and West of England Combined Authorities (WECAs) future narrative of a sustainable green future. The deadline to register to vote in the May 2021 local elections … Continued
By: Rhianna Murgatroyd and Grace Spalton-Woods We are two students in our second year of a Social Policy (BSc) degree at the university of Bristol, who chose to complete a work placement as part of our degree programme. We were very kindly taken on by Bristol Energy Network (BEN) in order to gain further experience … Continued
On the 4th of November 2020, the Bristol Energy Network held its Annual General Meeting online (you can watch on youtube if you missed it!), in which all those involved with BEN were able to reflect on the year’s events and what to look forward to in the coming years. You can download the Directors … Continued
In September, the Government launched the Green Homes Grant. We held an open meeting focusing on this on Tuesday 6th October. You can watch the recording of the meeting on youtube. This blog is by Will Houghton of Bristol Energy Co-operative. What is the Green Homes Grant? The Green Homes Grant offers up to £10,000 … Continued
Bristol Energy Network Virtual Open Meeting – 25th June 2020 Hartcliffe and Withywood Community Partnership (HWCP) co-hosted our second online Open Meeting, where we explored how community buildings can generate their own more sustainable energy and better manage their energy generation and consumption. Caroline Bird, Chair of the BEN Board, chaired the meeting. You can … Continued
What is the future of community energy? To think strategically about our future, we need to understand our history. One part of the history of community energy in England starts with the community energy sector in Germany. Germany was a pioneer in the development of community investment in and ownership of renewable energy generation, and … Continued
City Leap is an ambitious project to make Bristol a zero-carbon, smart energy city by 2030. Through a series of energy and infrastructure investment opportunities it aims to create a healthier and fairer city, create jobs, decarbonise the city and empower residents to take their future into their own hands. Currently, Bristol City Council is … Continued
Report from the Regen event on flexibility, 11th March 2020 by Caroline Bird, BEN Chair This event was one of several across the West where Regen and Western Power Distribution (WPD) are discussing the potential for communities to engage in the energy flexibility markets. The event discussed how local energy flexibility markets currently work and … Continued
Zero West aims to coordinate and accelerate the transition to zero carbon in the West of England region. To inform its work, Tom Stedall and colleagues explored in detail what zero carbon in the West of England would look like. Here he gives us a whistle-stop tour of his research. For the purposes of the … Continued