Support for community energy projects under the Feed-in Tariffs Scheme

The Community Energy Strategy set out the main barriers to community energy activity and the actions that needed to be taken to help realise the potential of community energy. This consultation takes forward two actions in relation to renewable electricity generation under the Feed-in Tariffs Scheme. The consultation is made up of the following parts:

• Part A: Introduction and estimates of deployment – This sets out background information that is relevant to both parts B and C. It explains the importance of community energy, and sets out the current financial support, costs, and interdependencies. It seeks views on DECC analysis of current community renewable electricity deployment and future potential, plus the impact of the proposed actions on deployment;

• Part B: Increasing the maximum specified capacity ceiling for community projects from 5MW to 10MW – This seeks views on proposals to use the Energy Act 2013 power to increase the maximum capacity for community energy projects from 5MW to 10MW under the FIT scheme. It also includes consideration of the definition of “community organisation”;

• Part C: Combining Feed-in tariffs and grants. This seeks views on proposals to expand the definition of permitted grants for reasonable additional costs that can be combined with FITs payments for community energy projects up to 5MW.