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Latest news

The new initiative, Community Energy Catalyst, will support local communities to build their own clean energy infrastructure or secure stakes in larger regional renewable energy schemes. Fair Play Clean Energy, Thrive’s existing joint venture with Top Cashback Sustainability Ltd, will provide £20 million of the investment, with Better Society Capital providing matched funding.
Community Energy Catalyst will make investments ranging between £0.5 million to £30 million in individual projects which are at least 1MW in size and employ proven technologies such as onshore and offshore wind, solar PV and hydro-electric. The joint venture will target late-stage development projects that have already secured planning consent, enabling them to advance through to construction, commissioning and operation while aligning with local objectives.
As well as funding, Thrive brings 30 years of experience financing, building and operating clean energy projects in the UK, and will provide support to community energy groups during key milestones such as procurement and grid connection.
When we created our award-winning community funding bridge in 2017, it was the first of its kind. Eight years later we’ve invested over £21 million into seven community energy projects, including £4 million to build England’s largest onshore wind turbine, which is 100% owned by the community in our home city of Bristol.

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Funding partnership with Better Society Capital will help more communities to own their own projects or take a stake in a larger project in their local area.

We’re partnering with the UK’s leading social impact investor to mobilise £40 million for community-owned energy projects

Featured

But these changes and the rate at which they move must be turbocharged as we move into the next decade. The 2010’s mark the end of the time for organic transition – we now need radical transformation.
If we are going to get to net zero carbon emissions, the next 10 years will look very different. Matthew Clayton writes for <a href="https://good-with-money.com/2020/01/03/renewables-to-power-a-decade-of-transformation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Good With Money.</a>

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Our MD, Matthew Clayton, writes for Good with Money.

Renewables to power a decade of transformation

In her speech at the opening of parliament this week, the Queen said: “My Government will continue to take steps to meet the world-leading target of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.”
Meanwhile, the Committee on Climate Change has written to the Prime Minister pressing him inject new urgency into the development and implementation of policy to deliver on the net zero target:

There is an urgent need to develop and implement ambitious, long-term, joined up policy to deliver net zero and at Thrive we will be working with industry bodies and investors to support that process. In the meantime, there are some straightforward, almost cost neutral things the new government could do right now to create a much more supportive environment for onshore renewables &#8211; the cheapest way of producing electricity across the globe.
<h3>Long term stability &#8211; A new approach to planning</h3>
The UK’s planning regime needs overhauling to reflect the climate emergency and government’s net zero targets. The key is longer-term thinking. Currently, unlike almost any other infrastructure project, new onshore renewables are typically only granted planning permission for a maximum of 20 to 30 years. This built in obsolescence makes investment difficult now subsidies have been removed and could even mean we start to see our onshore wind fleet shrink in size over the next few years. A new, longer term approach to planning for onshore renewables from government would provide the stability needed for investment, ultimately reducing the cost of electricity.
<h3>Size matters &#8211; We could be doing so much more, with so much less</h3>
Currently there are arbitrary limits on the height of onshore wind turbines. Essentially, the taller the turbine, the better wind it can access, and the more power it can generate &#8211; both the environmental and financial costs are less with taller turbines. Current planning rules favour short turbines, hindering land use and realisation of the UK’s abundant natural resource.  We could have fewer, taller turbines generating much more clean electricity at lower cost if some simple changes were made to planning assumptions.
<h3>Businesses as mini power stations</h3>
Many businesses have set net zero targets and are now trying to figure out how they can deliver them. One incredibly powerful way to do this is to use their existing land and buildings as sites for wind, hydro and solar installations. At Thrive, we have successfully delivered several of these projects for businesses <a href="/projects/investment-case-studies/private-wire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">across the country</a>, helping them save on bills and maximise their use of clean energy.  Consistent policies would business confidence to not only become greener but also play a part in making the UK more self-sufficient.
<h3>Get smarter, together</h3>
What connects your freezer and hot water tank at home with a massive data centre? All have the potential to adjust their electricity consumption to reflect the needs of the grid, and even act as storage. The industry calls this ‘demand side management’. If it were made mandatory, we could unite in adjusting our consumption patterns, saving electricity and reducing the amount of infrastructure we need, which keeps the costs down for everyone.  The technology is here, we just need consumers to demand A**** rated domestic products.
<h3>Bring back the hot water tank!</h3>
Generating our heat more sustainably is a big challenge, but would reap high rewards. When we think of energy storage, our minds leap to batteries and the exciting role electric cars can play in the future. However, a hot water tank, whist not being very new and exciting, is an excellent way to store renewable electricity, shaping demand (heating your hot water) when there is abundant renewable electricity, then storing it as hot water until you need it (at peak energy demand times in the morning), can play a big part in cleaning up our energy needs and reducing the amount of grid infrastructure required. Space heating and hot water accounts for 80% of UK residential energy consumption. Almost 40% of the UK’s energy requirement is for heat with 70% of our heating requirements met by burning natural gas, resulting in 20% of the UK’s CO2 emissions.
<h3>Snuggle up</h3>
Energy efficiency always tends to be the Cinderella of energy policy. But a more joined up approach is needed. Energy usage needs to be factored in to the existing building regulations so every new home is as comfortable and cheap to run as possible. Retro fitting insulation, thermostats and other measures should move on from middle class ‘fixer uppers’ and into the mainstream. Those who are old and vulnerable will benefit most from energy efficiency measures, bringing down bills and making homes warmer and cosier. And jobs will be created across the construction industry.
<h3>Cheaper, cleaner energy for all</h3>
Everyone knows we need cheaper, cleaner energy to help us reach net zero as quickly as possible while keeping the lights on. The UK’s Climate Change Committee has spelled out what needs to be done; with over one third of our electricity now generated by renewables, the sector has proved itself. Embedding zero carbon targets across government departments in an integrated way will accelerate our transition to a cleaner, greener future; and long-term planning and policy certainty will allow the sector to build on the success of the last ten years and grow exponentially.

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Simple steps the new government can take right now to drive growth in renewables.

Get net zero done

Climate activists, scientists, businesses and ordinary people have taken climate change from a “niche’ topic to top of the political agenda. For the first time, the majority of political parties are taking the climate crisis extremely seriously in their manifestos, demonstrating how the public can influence politics and force those in government to take the issues we care about seriously.
In contrast to much of our political discourse at the moment, this debate was broadly civil and constructive. There was point scoring and argument of course, but the reality is that the leaders were essentially in violent agreement. Many of the policies are broadly similar and the argument about deadlines should not distract from acting right now.
A key moment was when Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP mentioned unity. Climate change isn’t something we should be squabbling about, it should unite us together in the fight for our lives. The melting ice sculptures were an impactful visual reminder that not all party leaders chose to take part. But climate change is one of the top issues affecting this election according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/30/climate-crisis-affects-how-majority-will-vote-in-uk-election-poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent polls</a>, with 54% of adults saying it will affect how they vote &#8211; rising to 74% for under 25s. So all parties need to take it extremely seriously.
Elsewhere in Europe and internationally, positive steps are being taken. European Parliament declared a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/28/eu-parliament-declares-climate-emergency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate Emergency</a> yesterday, and next week sees the start of the most important <a href="https://unfccc.int/cop25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UN climate meeting</a> for four years. So our message continues to be the same. Let’s work together to be the change we want to see by building new, clean energy capacity, and keep holding whoever is in government to account to put policy in place with reflects both the gravity of the Climate Crisis and the huge potential we have to create a better future for us all.

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Last night saw the first climate crisis party leaders’ debate in history. This is the issue of our time and the greatest existential threat humanity will face. We have just 11 years to turn the climate-change super tanker around and the next government could be in power for 5 of those years, so this type of national conversation is absolutely vital.

Climate crisis debate - Another step on the transition journey

The company plans for electricity generated at the site to be supplied both directly to a local business and the electricity grid. Thrive Renewables has a track record of innovation in renewable energy project development, including ‘private wire’ projects, designed to enable local businesses to use power directly from a wind farm. This provides long-term, stable energy prices for the business and price certainty for the wind farm operator, protecting both parties from the volatility of the energy market.
When Chapelton wind farm is built, the local community will be able to apply for Thrive Renewables Community Benefit Programme, which offers grants to improve energy efficiency in community buildings like village halls, making them warmer, more comfortable and cheaper to run.

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We have acquired a new wind farm site near Girvan, South Ayrshire in Scotland. The project, to be named Chapelton wind farm, has planning and land rights for three turbines and initial ground works have commenced.

Thrive Renewables acquires new wind farm site in Scotland

The offshore wind sector alone is likely to see a 260% increase in jobs by 2032. In addition, the report suggests that in the next five years there will be 600,000 positions which will need replacing due to staff retirement; there are simply not enough young graduates entering the field to replace them. It is therefore important for our sector to do what we can to inspire more people to pursue careers in renewable energy.
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So, on 4 November we were particularly pleased to welcome a group of engineering students from the University of Bristol to Avonmouth, to give them a behind the scenes look at an operational onshore wind farm. We also wanted to provide some insight into what skills go into developing renewable energy projects and careers options available.
Operations Manager, Adrian, talked to the students about each stage of development, from financing the project and gaining planning permission, to construction and operations. Many of the students had not visited a wind farm before and enjoyed learning more about the turbines.

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The UK renewables sector is currently experiencing a severe skills shortage.

Supporting the next generation of renewable energy engineers

Green Great Britain Week could not be more relevant and needed right now. We are in a climate emergency, that emergency cannot be postponed or rescheduled. Every day, week, month we waste on inaction is to the detriment of not just the UK, but the entire planet. We have so much to do and just over 11 years to do it.
<h3>More good news on renewables</h3>
A recent report released by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/21/renewable-energy-to-expand-by-50-in-next-five-years-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Energy Agency</a> showed that global renewables are growing faster than expected and could expand by 50% in the next five years, led by a resurgence in cheaper solar power. This growth will bring the world’s renewable generated electricity up to 30%. Whilst this is fantastic news, if we have any hope of achieving climate, air quality and energy access goals, the deployment of renewables must accelerate ever further still.
In the third quarter of 2019, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/oct/14/renewable-electricity-overtakes-fossil-fuels-in-uk-for-first-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK renewables generated more electricity than fossil fuels</a> for the first time since the first ever power plant in 1882, providing 40% of our electricity needs. Helped by a string of new offshore wind farms built this year, wind power is the UK’s strongest source of renewable energy making up 20% of the mix. This signifies a crucial tipping point in our energy transition, and yet another milestone on our net zero journey.
<h3>Environment Bill and Office for Environmental Protection</h3>
In the Queen’s speech on 11 October, the government laid out its new Environmental Bill which will reportedly enshrine environmental principles into law for the first time. Several of the Bill’s proposals have been welcomed, such as those on restoring and protecting nature and tackling plastic pollution. However, few policy details have been released and very little was mentioned in relation to decarbonisation and curbing emissions in line with meeting net zero targets. In addition to the proposed bills, the government announced plans to establish the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), an independent watchdog, to hold the government to account and ensure compliance with environmental targets and laws.
This new watchdog provides an opportunity to put sustainability at the heart of the UK economy. However, we are concerned about its lack of power to discipline non-compliant organisations. Under EU rules, for example, the government has faced heavy fines for failing to meet EU air standards. It has also been forced to reduce nitrogen oxides pollution. The OEP however, will not have such powers which leads to worries that the new watchdog will be insufficient to punish those who breach new standards or fail to hit the UK’s green targets.  With an election in the offing, the future is even more unclear.
<h3>Action and leadership now</h3>
Behind the announcements of government plans to protect and improve the environment through the Environment Bill and the new OEP, they have been slipping ever further from their legally binding targets on emissions that are directly contributing to global heating.
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the government’s advisory group on climate change and emissions targets, outlined changes which need to be made to reach net zero in their 2019 progress report. Changes such as supporting onshore wind and solar and improving home insulation. The new OEP is expected to provide some additional teeth to compliment the work of the CCC. However, it is difficult to have confidence in the OEP’s ability to police our environmental and climate action when so few of the CCC’s recommendations have so far been met.
Right now, we need environmental and climate leadership from government, but also from local authorities, industry, business and individual people. Green Great Britain Week would have been a great opportunity to bring all those different corners of the UK economy and society together to develop and harness that leadership to create real change.
Next year the UK will be hosting COP26 in Glasgow, shining a spotlight on the government’s actions on the climate emergency. If we want to be seen as a world leader on that stage, the work needs to start now, and it needs to start with clear policy and tangible action. We need to create a viable route to market for onshore renewables, the cheapest sources of new energy generation. We need to change the planning regulations to protect the UK’s current portfolio of renewable energy projects from shrinking as they approach the end of their planning consent. We need to support the repowering of older renewable energy projects, making use of more advanced and efficient technology.
The road to net zero is clear. It has been laid out in front of us by scientists and the government’s own <a href="https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/net-zero-the-uks-contribution-to-stopping-global-warming/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CCC</a>, <a href="https://www.nic.org.uk/assessment/national-infrastructure-assessment/low-cost-low-carbon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National infrastructure Committee</a> and <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700496/clean-growth-strategy-correction-april-2018.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BEIS</a> to name a few. Now we must choose to take it. We need the new government, when it is elected, to step up and move quickly in the right direction. It should be Green Great Britain Week every week for business, individuals, communities and beyond.

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This week we should have been celebrating Green Great Britain Week.

What happened to Green Great Britain Week?

Each successful community building will receive up to £4,000 to make energy efficiency and sustainability improvements carefully targeted for their specific design and use.  Improvements like loft insulation, new double-glazed windows, draft-proof doors, thermal curtains and efficient LED lighting.
A wide variety of buildings have been awarded grants this year, hosting projects, charities and organisations which support and address different community needs.
Successful applicants include:
<ul>
<li>North East Suffolk Citizens Advice Bureau &#8211; an independent charity providing impartial, free advice to the local community</li>
<li>Heart and Sound &#8211; a Scottish youth work and creative media charity</li>
<li>Alloa Rugby Football Club &#8211; a rugby training facility and social club for local sports teams</li>
<li>St Paul’s Parish Church &#8211; the village hub acting as a focal point hosting groups of all ages from across the local area</li>
</ul>
The sustainability improvements are forecast to save community organisations an average of £649 per year. This will go a long way to helping them maintain these vital shared spaces which provide so much for the people who use them. In addition, the energy efficiency improvements are also calculated to save 23.03 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, contributing to the global effort to address the climate emergency and reach our targets of net zero emissions by 2050.
North East Suffolk Citizens Advice Bureau received £1,781 for loft insulation, which will support an ongoing project to improve the energy usage of the building.

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23 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year will be avoided with round 4 of the community benefit programme.

Improved warmth and comfort in vital community buildings

We kicked off our celebrations last month with a birthday reception and a family open day at our Avonmouth wind farm. Nick Stromberg, intern at the Centre for Sustainable Energy, writes for Blue Patch’s Youth Blog about the events and festivities.
Read the full blog on the Blue Patch <a href="https://community.bluepatch.org/renewable-energy-in-britain-from-thrive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website.</a>

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TIDE &amp; ISE 2018

The Blue Patch youth blog reports on Thrive’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

Thrive at 25! Youth blog

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The National Grid produces Future Energy Scenarios describing how power will be generated, distributed and consumed in the future. It demonstrates just how much needs to be done to transform our energy system. We are ready to take on this challenge and invest in new wind, solar and hydro projects; with the right policy framework in place, this transformation will happen.
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To-date, the UK has built a fifth of the renewable capacity required to slow climate change. With the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) suggesting we have only 12 years to turn the climate change around, the role for Thrive, its investors and others in building new sustainable energy infrastructure continues to be absolutely crucial.
Our mission is to power the transition to a sustainable energy future by helping people meaningfully connect with clean energy projects. By doing this we can achieve wider energy access and lower costs for everyone over the coming years. With the twin challenges of national planning guidance and an energy system where onshore renewables stand alone in being unsubsidised, the pioneering and values driven investment approach of Thrive and its investors has never been more relevant.
If government, industries and individuals work together towards this common goal, we will succeed in creating a cleaner, fairer and brighter future. We asked some of Thrive’s friends and key industry figures to imagine what this future might look like. Here’s what they said.
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1 &#8211; Cumulative generation since 1998, average UK homes equivalent consumption of 3.781MWh/p.a./UK home (https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained), average residents per household 2.3 (https://www.ons.gov.uk/ peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/ populationestimates/bulletins/populationandhousehold estimatesfortheunitedkingdom/2011-03-21)

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It’s Good Money Week, organised by the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association, which Thrive is part of. As our investors know, money has the power to create real, positive change in the world.

Working together towards a brighter future

Across the UK, hundreds of thousands of impassioned people joined marches and rallies in more than 200 locations. From big cities like London, Manchester and Newcastle, which drew crowds of up to 100,000 people, to small towns and villages such as Fort William, Rhyl and Laugharne which saw 6 local villagers gather to join the global movement.
Thrive team members joined other Bristol businesses at our local Bristol march which saw a speech by Natalie Bennett of the Green Party, protestors staging a symbolic ‘die in’ and a youth poetry reading. Another member of the team, who took strike action herself from work, attended the rally outside Westminster in London.
<h3>London 20 September 2019</h3>
As people gathered from 11am, quickly filling up the streets and gardens surrounding the Houses of Parliament, the sun shone down illuminating the masses of home-made signs and radiant smiles of young and old alike. Small groups of primary school children brought by teachers stayed on the edges of the rally taking part in games and activities, whilst larger groups of teenagers stood on bins and walls holding their placards and chanting climate demands. Multi-faith groups took part in group prayer and music was playing everywhere.
The event was one of overwhelming unity, hope and a collective demand for action. Many people attending had been watching the first marches spread across Australia and the South Pacific on social media and you could not escape the feeling of connection with so many others, a little bit like when we greet the New Year around the world.
Climate justice was the theme of the day with a range of speakers from across the UK and the world discussing what it means to them and how we achieve it together. Strong key themes that came from many of the speakers was the key role racial justice and migrant justice play in achieving climate justice. Climate change disproportionately affects the global south1<a class="js-scroll-done" href="/latest-news/blog/young-people-and-workers-unite-to-demand-action-on-climate-crisis/#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1"></a> and these communities. The worst effects of climate change will lead to mass migration as vast areas of the globe become uninhabitable2. Some of the most powerful of the speakers were two school children from Malawi. They came to tell 100,000 Londoners what climate change is doing to their country, how droughts, food shortages and extreme weather are affecting their communities. They also came to tell us that we are part of the problem. These two incredibly brave and inspirational young people came to ask for our help, because we have the power and the resources to change.
Other speakers included Owen Jones, The Guardian columnist and author, Caroline Lucas, Leader of the Green Party, and Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party. Both party leaders came to discuss what their plans were for addressing the climate crisis. They both reiterated the necessity of urgent action following major global events such as the fire in the Amazon rainforest and the hurricane which left devastation in the Bahamas. They also, like many of the day’s speakers, drew attention back to those suffering most from the effects of climate change. Caroline Lucas described climate change as “the biggest social justice issue of our time”. However, these were also messages of hope, thanking those who had joined the movement for showing true climate leadership, for keeping this issue at the top of the political agenda and promising that together, as one movement across the world, we will succeed.
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1 &#8211;  UN report &#8211; Climate Change and Social Inequality <a href="https://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2017/wp152_2017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(https://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2017/wp152_2017.pdf)</a>
2 &#8211;  International Organization for Migration (IOM) – Migration and Climate Change (<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/apps/njlite/srex/njlite_download.php?id=5866" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-anchor="?id=5866">https://www.ipcc.ch/apps/njlite/srex/njlite_download.php?id=5866</a>)

Three Thrive team members joined more than 7.6 million people from across the world to support the Global Climate Strike between 20th and 27th September.

Young people and workers unite to demand action on climate crisis

The power of nature

Today clean, renewable power is providing over a third of the UK’s electricity needs. At Thrive we have been part of this journey for 25 years, working towards a cleaner, smarter energy system. And we’ve come a long way. 

Video: The power of nature

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We are about to hit the milestone of 1.6 Terawatt hours (TWh) of renewable electricity generated over the last 25 years, reducing UK CO2 emissions by over 660,000 tonnes1 and meeting the equivalent annual energy demand of one million UK residents2. 22 renewable energy projects have been built or funded by Thrive over the last quarter of a century, the majority of which we own and operate. £35 million has been raised in equity and £13 million in bonds with over 6,100 investors. Assets under management now total £117 million.
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Earlier this year, we sold two onshore windfarms. From the sale of the projects, we realised the next 10 years of predicted dividends, enabling us to pay a 40p per share interim dividend to shareholders and retain a sizeable pot (approximately £11m) to invest in new renewable projects.
We’re now focusing on three main areas:
<ul>
<li>Private wire renewables – enabling businesses to build on-site wind, solar and storage and benefit from lower power prices.</li>
<li>Community Energy Funding Bridge – providing flexible finance for community groups to enable them to build and take ownership of their own renewable energy projects.</li>
<li>Demonstrating that subsidy-free small to medium scale onshore renewable developments are feasible.</li>
</ul>
There is a pipeline of new investment opportunities in place that will be announced in the coming months.
Birthday celebrations commence with our Avonmouth wind farm open day in association with Bristol Open Doors. We’re expecting over 500 people across two days on 13 and 14 September as part of our mission to connect more people to renewable energy. The free event has proved extremely popular and all places were booked within days of becoming available.
[1] https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained
[2] Cumulative generation since 1998, average UK homes equivalent consumption of 3.781MWh/p.a./UK home (https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained), average residents per household 2.3
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Thrive Renewables celebrates 25th anniversary.

People power key for sustainable future

Figures by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and analysed by think tank New Economics Foundation, revealed that only seven applications were submitted last year – but all of those <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/15/zero-plans-for-public-onshore-windfarms-submitted-last-year-in-england" target="_blank" rel="noopener">related to the replacement of existing turbines or were for private sites, where the energy produced is destined for a particular consumer, such as a business</a>. 
The number was lower than the 10 applications submitted in 2022, when the de facto ban was still in place, despite the adjustments made to the National Planning Policy Framework in September 2023 which the government claimed would “make it easier and quicker for onshore wind projects to come forward, where there is local support”.  
<h3>Is it only England that&#8217;s falling behind? </h3>
In contrast to the lack of new applications in England, <a href="https://www.endsreport.com/article/1861845/no-new-plans-onshore-wind-england-despite-relaxed-rules%22%20/l%20%22:~:text=There%20were%20no%20new%20planning,onshore%20wind%2C%20new%20data%20shows." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scotland saw 46 applications made for grid- connected onshore wind farms last year</a> and has openly embraced the technology as part of its future energy mix. Through the <a href="https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/scotland-signs-deal-with-sector-to-ensure-it-can-reach-20gw-of-onshore-wind-by-2030-25-09-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal</a>, which was signed by the government and major industry players in September 2023, it has <a href="https://www.renewableuk.com/news/652133/Scottish-Onshore-Wind-Sector-Deal-can-provide-blueprint-for-all-of-UK.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlined a number of measures</a> to help ensure Scotland delivers on its promises of 20GW of onshore wind by 2030 &#8211; more than double its current operational capacity of 9.38GW.  
This includes: 
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">a commitment that it will take no longer than a year for Scottish onshore wind farms to go through the planning system, </li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">engagement with local communities at the earliest opportunity to agree a package of community benefits, and </li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">greater recycling of turbine components to make the supply chain even more sustainable.  </li>
</ul>
And if Scotland can do it, why can’t the rest of the UK follow suit? Especially when we know that people are not only in favour of onshore wind, but that the technology is instrumental in delivering cheaper, cleaner power to households still feeling the effects of the recent energy and cost of living crises. In fact, <a href="https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4112821/staggering-englands-onshore-wind-ban-costing-british-billpayers-gbp-1bn-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research by Carbon Brief</a> found that the de facto ban in England had cost billpayers a &#8220;staggering&#8221; £5.1 billion in 2022.  
“Onshore wind remains the cheapest source of clean energy in the UK and has already contributed to billions in savings for UK households. But England continues to miss out on tapping this valuable resource, while Scotland and the rest of Europe add large amounts of wind capacity every year.” –  <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/15/zero-plans-for-public-onshore-windfarms-submitted-last-year-in-england" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chaitanya Kumar, head of environment and green transition, New Economics Foundation thinktank</a> 
While the government’s micro-adjustments in policy have evidently had little effect, we were still waiting for the results of the government’s consultation into community benefit, launched in May 2023 as part of what was – at the time – dubbed “green day”. Now published, it sought “views on improvements that could be made to the existing system of community engagement and community benefits for onshore wind in England”, with 76 responses from a variety of stakeholders, including Thrive.  
<h3>What are the results of the government&#8217;s consultation? </h3>
Following the consultation, the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/developing-local-partnerships-for-onshore-wind-in-england" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government has confirmed that it intends to</a>:  
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="4" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">Formally embed best practice principles of community engagement into official planning guidance. </li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="4" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">Work with the onshore wind industry and other stakeholders to update the Community Benefits Protocol for Onshore Wind in England. </li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="4" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">Take ownership of the Community Benefits Protocol and publish it as official guidance on GOV.UK, providing the whole of the onshore wind industry with clear expectations on community benefits and giving greater certainty to communities. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="4" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Provide supporting information and case studies on community benefits to help upskill local communities and streamline the community benefits process, including setting out the instances in which developers could provide additional support to communities. </li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="4" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Develop a mechanism for the onshore wind industry to formally sign-up and endorse the updated Protocol, which will provide greater trust and transparency for communities. </li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="4" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Consider establishing a public community benefits register that can capture details of community benefit packages, to allow communities to compare offers and drive best practice. </li>
</ul>
We absolutely agree that onshore wind projects should benefit local communities and will continue to work with community energy groups looking to make their projects a reality. However, the government needs to understand that communities will not get to reap any benefits at all if projects never make it into existence. The fact that there were no planning applications in 2023 is proof that developers are still struggling to justify the high cost of navigating the planning process, without clarity on the likelihood of success. We believe that significant reform is still needed if we are to harness wind power to its full potential. 
What we have, and will continue calling for, is for onshore wind to be treated in the same way as other infrastructure projects, as well as the removal of footnote 54 (which sets out the conditions that have to be met for development to be considered &#8216;acceptable) from the National Planning Policy Framework.

While onshore wind delivered almost a third of the UK’s electricity supply last year, England is still failing to harness its true power – despite government ‘reform’.

Proof is in the pudding? Zero planning applications for public onshore wind farms in England last year

Beochlich consists of two Pelton 21X2.45 turbines, fed via a pipeline which creates the pressure to drive the turbines most efficiently. A storage reservoir is incorporated which allows the flow to be regulated to an optimum level when rainfall is high as well as store water during periods of lower rainfall. Water diverted from the Beochlich Burn is returned to the same water course downstream. 
The project generates roughly 4.5GWh of renewable electricity a year – enough to power 1,126 UK homes. As well as being a key renewable energy source, the hydro project helps to regulate the water flow at Beochlich which is positive for plant health and irrigation purposes.

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25 year life extension agreed for the 1MW project in Western Scotland.

Thrive's first hydro-electric project secures another 25 years of operation

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The refinancing loan along with a loan from Energy Prospects Co-operative will enable community benefit society, Resilient Energy Forest of Dean (REFD), to retain ownership of the project. Energy4All, who currently manage 33 renewable energy co-operatives, will support REFD as the commercial manager of the project.
As well as providing clean electricity to the grid, funding from revenues generated will continue to support local community projects in the Forest of Dean. So far, a wide range of local community buildings and schools have benefitted as a result.
The addition of this project to Thrive’s portfolio brings the total we have invested in community projects to £17 million. It is the 6th community funding bridge we have facilitated, plugging funding gaps to enable community energy groups to build and operate their own clean energy projects. This includes providing a £4 million to fund the construction of England’s largest onshore wind turbine in Bristol, which is owned by a community group.
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