Ynni Cymunedol Cymru

About Us

What do we do?

Community Energy Wales is a not for profit membership organisation that has been set up to provide assistance and a voice to community groups working on energy projects in Wales. We want to help create the conditions in Wales that allow community energy projects to flourish, and communities to prosper.

Vision: Putting people at the heart of the energy system.

Mission: To support and accelerate the transition to a fair, low carbon and community-led energy system.

There is no doubting the benefits that can flow to communities from the development of community energy projects – but as an increasing number of community organisations are discovering, the journey from an initial idea to the realisation of a project can be fraught with frustration and delay. We will support groups to develop projects by:

  • providing a platform whereby community energy groups can pool their experience and learn from each other, we will accelerate the pace of development.
  • gathering evidence about where the stumbling blocks that are delaying or preventing schemes lie – be this access to the right kind of funding at the right time, planning and licencing issues or grid connectivity
  • campaigning on behalf of the sector and influence the formation of energy policy in Wales in support of delivering clear community energy targets. If your community group or organisation supports these aims – please join today.
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Wind pic Climate conference AGM

Who Are We?

Community Energy Wales was constituted in 2012. We have a management board drawn from professionals working in the community energy sector, but the organisation belongs to its members, who can vote on the composition of that board on an annual basis.

Community Energy Wales is funded initially by the Welsh Government, but has to raise an increasing percentage of its operating costs from Sponsorship and other income generating activities. We work in partnership with other organisations to deliver assistance and networking opportunities to community energy groups in Wales.

Our Articles of Association can be read here Memorandum and Articles.

Our Activities:

Our approach is to bring together a programme of practical support to inspire communities to take action, educational support to empower them to develop their schemes in accordance with their needs, financial advice and support to help implement the schemes sustainably over a long-term period, and influence the necessary people and policies to make these schemes a success and share their experiences with others.

  • We have developed our own 900kW wind turbine which was built in August 2017, we hope that this will provide a sustainable income for CEW to support the sustainability of our organisation. There is currently a community energy share offer out for this project so you are able to become a member and support this project as well. For more information please visit http://www.ynniteg.cymru/

  • We successfully worked alongside our members and partners to lobby the Welsh Government to provide business rate relief for community owned hydro’s which suffered huge rate rises last year.

  • We are working in partnership with a large wind developer to develop the first large scale shared ownership project of its kind in Wales.

  • Secured funding to trial the Energy Local model being delivered in Bethesda to another 15 communities in Wales.

  • Secured funding for just over 2 years from Welsh Government to increase the support and develop further opportunities for Community Energy through Welsh Governments Local Energy and shared ownership agenda.

  • Ran a series of knowledge sharing events inviting Local Authorities and members of civil society to come and visit a community energy project and here about the impacts of these and other projects.

What we don’t do:

We are not a consultancy and we can not give direct advice for setting up a community energy project, however we do work with people who can give such advice and can signpost you in their direction.

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