WE ASKED, THEY LISTENED: Government Backs Local Power Movement
Back during the height of the energy crisis, Love Hastings spoke out on behalf of local businesses. We made a clear case: temporary fixes and bill subsidies weren’t enough. If the government truly wanted to secure our energy future, it needed to break the stranglehold of big energy firms and put democratic, localized clean power directly into the hands of local communities.
Now, with the rollout of Great British Energy’s £30 million ‘People’s Power’ launch—the first wave of an anticipated £1 billion investment—ministers are putting that exact vision into action.
What We Asked For
When Hastings Business Improvement District (BID) manager John Bownas highlighted the crisis facing our town, we laid out a roadmap for real, structural change:
- Localized, Democratic Production: Shifting power generation to local hands so profits stay in our town rather than lining the pockets of gas and oil majors.
- Solar & Clean Tech on Local Buildings: Fitting solar panels across every suitable public roof and unused space.
- Long-Term Solutions Over Band-Aids: Investing in permanent, low-cost renewable infrastructure instead of short-term bill bailouts.
What The Government Is Delivering
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Great British Energy have announced a package that aligns directly with those demands:
- Direct Community Ownership: The new £20 million Community Fund and £5 million Partnerships Grant give local councils and community organizations the funding to build and own their own clean energy schemes—including rooftop solar and local wind generation.
- Profits Stay Local: Under the new model, proceeds from clean power generation will flow directly back into towns and villages to lower local bills and support municipal services.
- Rooftop Solar Investment: Over 150 public building solar projects are already coming online across the UK, with new grant applications opening to scale this up dramatically.
What’s Next for Hastings?
This announcement is a huge victory for the principle of community-owned energy. However, our work isn’t done yet.
We will continue to advocate for:
- Coastal Marine Energy: Pushing ministers to expand funding into dedicated wave, tidal, and offshore wind power tailored specifically for seaside towns like Hastings.
- Direct Business Support: Working to ensure our town’s independent retail, hospitality, and service sectors can directly access cheaper, locally generated energy to keep operating costs down.
We hope Hastings BC will be actively exploring how our local authority and community partners can tap into this new grant funding to bring local energy projects to life right here on the coast.
Have an idea for a local renewable project or want to see solar on a specific local building? Get in touch with the Love Hastings team to share your thoughts.