Renewable Electricity Generation Bill: Share in the Benefits

CENI Calls for Communities to Share in the Benefits.

As the Bill progresses, CENI will continue to advocate for a simple principle:

The transition to renewable energy should deliver community value as well as renewable power.

CENI has responded to the consultation on the Renewable Electricity Generation Bill, welcoming the introduction of the Renewable Electricity Price Guarantee (REPG) while calling for stronger measures to ensure communities benefit directly from the energy transition.

The opportunity: Northern Ireland has the chance to move beyond a model where communities simply host renewable energy projects and receive discretionary benefits. Instead, communities should have opportunities to participate, invest, own assets and retain a fair share of the economic value created by renewable energy development.

Our response supports Contracts for Difference (CfDs) as a way to encourage renewable electricity generation but argues that renewable energy policy should deliver more than new generation capacity alone.

Our key messages:

(i)               Make community benefit mandatory

Projects receiving public support should provide guaranteed and consistent community benefit (specifically, £5,000 per MW per annum index-linked), with clear reporting (we asked for a Community Benefit Register publicly accessible and maintained) and accountability (with a public annual report on community benefit delivery).

(ii)             Support community energy participation

Community-owned and co-operative energy projects should have a clear pathway into the new support scheme, with eligibility rules that work for community-scale generation.

(iii)           Increase transparency and accountability

The public should be able to see how support is allocated, how levy funds are used, and what benefits are being delivered to communities.

If you want to read more, access our report here https://www.coopalternatives.coop/resources