Energy Ministers’ statements on our Local Electricity Campaign
A full list of supportive responses from Government Ministers
“We are pursuing [direct local selling] through the Local Power Plan, and we intend for that to happen.”
Katie White MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, Energy Security and Net Zero Oral Answers to Questions, 2nd June 2026
“We need to support communities in developing the project, then creating a market in which they can sell electricity locally. We are working with Ofgem and partners to ensure that can happen, and we will say more in due course.”
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, Energy Security and Net Zero Oral Answers to Questions, 2nd June 2026
“Indeed, we see those things as an essential part of the move forward with the Local Power Plan, so that communities can, for example, start to trade in local energy.”
Lord Whitehead, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Lords, debate on the Local Power Plan, 11th February 2026
“[John Whitby MP] makes an essential point about the ability to sell this power back into the grid. I assure him that we are working on this with Ofgem to improve the offer to local community groups, because it is an essential part of ensuring that economic value goes to groups, including those in his constituency.”
Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, debate on the Local Power Plan, 10th February 2026
“The regulatory system needs to make it much more straightforward for community energy groups to get up and operate, but then also to benefit from being able to sell their electricity locally. There are also ways - and we want to explore this further - around how we can support local energy networks so that there are communities directly benefiting from genuinely selling the electricity locally.”
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Energy Security and Net Zero Committee’s ‘Unlocking community energy at scale’ oral evidence session, 28th January 2026
“[Jess Brown-Fuller MP] is right about the virtues of community energy. Great British Energy is going to partner with local communities to deliver community energy up and down the country. […] I want to assure her that we are going through the different barriers in granular, nerdy detail to see how we can break them down. ”
Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, Energy Security and Net Zero Oral Answers to Questions, 15th July 2025
“We are absolutely determined to do it. He is right to make the point about delivering clean power that benefits local communities, so that they can buy it locally and really see the benefit of hosting it. That is exactly what we are determined to do and we will continue to work to make it happen.”
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, Energy Security and Net Zero Oral Answers to Questions, 15th July 2025
“We agree about the importance of community energy and are looking at a range of things, in particular at how communities might sell power locally.”
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero The Planning and Infrastructure Bill’s fourth Commons Committee sitting, 29th April 2025
“As the noble Earl, Lord Russell, kindly said, I very much share in the support for community energy, and I assure him that it will be an integral part of Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan.”
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, Former Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Lords, the Great British Energy Bill’s committee stage debate, 3rd December 2024
“I do accept […] that community energy has huge potential in itself and as a way to leverage public support generally for the kinds of changes that we need to see happen. We certainly believe that GBE will deliver a step change in investment in local community energy projects and will work strongly in partnership with local authorities and community groups to deliver this.”
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, Former Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Lords, the Great British Energy Bill’s second reading debate, 18th November 2024
“I am passionate about community energy, as are the Government. It will form an integral part of Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan, which will put communities at the heart of the energy transition, […] ensuring that community energy projects can be delivered, with all the changes to planning and governance that are required to make that happen.”
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, the Great British Energy Bill’s Third Reading debate, 29th October 2024
“I know that many Members of the House are passionate about the issue of local power, so let me reassure them that the Government are committed to delivering the biggest expansion of support for community-owned energy in history.”
Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, the Great British Energy Bill’s Third Reading debate, 29th October 2024
“Great British Energy’s role will be to build upon existing community energy schemes under way across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It will build on that experience to contribute more where it can.”
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero ‘Renewable Energy Projects: Community Benefits’ Westminster Hall debate, 15th October 2024
“[Support for community energy] will be an integral part not just of Great British Energy, but of the Government’s entire energy strategy. That is why the Local Power Plan is a key part of Great British Energy’s delivery model, and it goes broader than GB Energy, to every other part of Government policy on energy.”
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, the Great British Energy Bill’s committee stage debate, 10th October 2024
“We are committed to our Local Power Plan, which will deliver investment in community-owned projects. Great British Energy will have a key role to play in supporting communities, capacity building and in that initial funding to help them deliver these projects.”
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, Energy Security and Net Zero Oral Answers to Questions, 8th October 2024
“As a country, we are massively underpowered on community energy. As part of the GB Energy Local Power Plan we will be trying to change that, learning from countries such as Germany and Denmark, which do much better than us.”
Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, Energy Security and Net Zero Oral Answers to Questions, 8th October 2024
“Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan will deliver the biggest expansion of support for community-owned energy in British history and ensure benefits flow directly to local communities, part of our commitment that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should benefit from it.”
Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Energy UK conference, 17th September 2024
“Several Members raised the question of community energy, which is at the heart of the Bill. Local power generation is an essential part of the energy mix, ensuring that energy projects deliver not just a community benefit but the social outcomes that local communities need. […] Great British Energy will deliver a step change in investment in local and community energy projects.”
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, the Great British Energy Bill’s second reading debate, 5th September 2024
“Great British Energy will deliver our Local Power Plan, working with local authorities, combined authorities and communities to deliver the biggest expansion of support for community-owned energy in history.”
Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, the Great British Energy Bill’s second reading debate, 5th September 2024
“One of the missions of GB Energy will be around the idea of community-owned power. We have to bring two things together: we want communities to be in the driving seat of much of this in the future, but also to have some sense of ownership of the assets. We also know that some of the smaller generation projects can be the most successful.”
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero House of Commons, ‘Making Britain a Clean Energy Superpower’ debate, 26th July 2024