Co-operative Energy set to launch world’s largest community energy celebration

A fortnight of community energy celebration spanning the breadth of the UK, complete with public tours and events, will officially begin on Saturday, headed by industry leader Co-operative Energy and in partnership with Forum for the Future.

Organised by the Community Energy Coalition (CEC), a conglomeration of 36 civil society organisations, and led by sustainability non-profit organisation, Forum for the Future, the event will last from Saturday 13th to Sunday 28th September.

The overall event will give localised people the opportunity to visit community energy projects in their own area, to understand the benefits of community energy in providing sustainable energy for the benefit of their community – with 80 individual events already planned.

Co-operative Energy will be launching the event with its own community energy conference on 13th September at the NEC in Birmingham, with a panel of speakers discussing the benefit of community based energy ventures.

Other events include ‘Fuelling Manchester’ by Carbon Co-op, a community-led co-operative in Manchester that aims to self-retrofit homes and will be hosting a networking event, as well as ‘Bristol Green Doors,’ a community interest company showcasing a number of homes to the public, free of charge, to show the advantages of energy saving technologies and initiatives.

Ramsay Dunning, group general manager of Co-operative Energy, said “Following on from last year’s event, the world’s first Community Energy Fortnight, we are keen to make this year’s event even more successful, which is why we are proud to be playing such a central role by headlining and sponsoring the 2014 event.

“For years we’ve been encouraging our hundreds of thousands of customers and members to get involved in community energy schemes, and the Fortnight is the perfect opportunity to do just that. We currently have purchase power agreements with around 30 generators, 15 of which are owned by the community – a number which is constantly growing thanks to events like this.”

Photo source: Forum for the Future 

Further Reading:

Community Energy Fortnight: Bristol Green Doors

Community Energy Fortnight: Regen SW

Community Energy Fortnight: Drumlin Wind Energy Co-operative

Community Energy Fortnight: Scene Consulting

Community Energy Fortnight gears up for second series of events