Centre for Sustainable Energy Future Energy Landscapes – empowering communities
Funded Project: Description
This project aims to develop an approach to renewable energy development processes that puts communities, and nuanced community conversations, that pro-actively include vulnerable and future consumers, at the heart of identifying and specifying how and where renewable energy projects are developed.
Through the deployment and further development of the Future Energy Landscapes (FEL) methodology, the project will address critical gaps in community engagement that limits the number of renewable energy projects and opportunities to deliver benefits to local communities.
Direct benefits to local consumers include ensuring that: new renewable projects are consistent with people’s relationships with local landscapes, opportunities for co-benefits are maximised, local preferences for ownership, co-ownership and influence are explored, innovative options for local retail are considered and community members have the time, space and opportunity to specify their needs and priorities for community benefit funds.