Local area energy planning for net zero
By: Zoe Guijarro
Tags: Sustainable Housing, Net Zero Energy, Local Government, Climate Change, Low Carbon

In May of this year Citizens Advice published a report on local area energy planning and what might be needed for this to be a critical part of our action on zero carbon.

I am excited about the prospect of greater local involvement in the decision-making and delivery of net zero. The concept of local area energy plans — what they are and what they might look like — is something I have been thinking a lot about. Delivering consistent and effective plans across the nation will require a process of collaborative dialogue between stakeholders to come up with a workable framework that delivers for consumers.

There is a lot to consider and, as a start, I thought I would share three things that I think are important in developing these plans.

Timescales

There is always a fine line between rushing things too much and moving with enough speed to be as impactful as you can be. Climate change means we need to take action, and soon, but we must also be relatively confident that those actions don’t lock us into bad choices or cause severe detriment to people. But with low carbon heating systems becoming discussed more in mainstream media I am concerned that without a clear plan or guidance people could start making decisions for their households that could be sub-optimal.

Local area energy plans could provide people with the help and support they need for low carbon heating and reduce risk by ensuring that the low carbon heating systems they install are the most appropriate and cost effective for their needs.

The Climate Change Committee has identified the 2020s as a decade where a lot of the action on decarbonising our homes needs to start increasing significantly. With that in mind, we should also be prioritising action now on local area energy planning and the right framework to support those plans.

Building capacity

In a post-Covid world, local area energy plans could be a good way to rebuild local economies but to do this local authorities need to be able to build expertise in energy and low carbon planning. Building this capacity within local areas would ensure that authorities are able to make informed decisions on how best to meet net zero.

Embedding the necessary skills and expertise will be challenging and some of the questions I have around how best to do that are:

Who is best placed to help upskill and embed expertise in local authorities?

How do we do include key stakeholders who already have that expertise, such as energy networks, in a way that is safe and fair?

What skills might be needed and what checks and balances need to be in place to ensure informed decision making?

There are many more questions of course but for me, that doesn’t alter the fact that local authorities and decision-makers will need new, low carbon, energy planning skills in-house.

The consumer’s voice

Delivering on net zero means delivering low carbon solutions to 29 million homes. We will all be impacted in some way and so we will all likely have an opinion about how the low carbon rollout will happen. However, consumer engagement is challenging. It often leads to the same people or groups of people engaging with the process.

To do consumer outreach well so that it includes a wide range of individuals can be intensive and potentially expensive. But with such a massive change it is important that we do hear as many voices as possible — so how can we do that across the nation?

An important start would be to have a national, overarching communications strategy that sets out the ambition and overall plan for net zero. People need to know what is coming and the message needs to be consistent. A core, national message will help local decision-makers develop communications further in a way that works for their communities. It will also give us a better chance of engaging with people across all walks of life on this topic.

Final thoughts

My list above is not intended to be exhaustive but to provoke further thought, questions and ideas. I believe that local area energy planning for net zero could have so many benefits for communities and help us deliver a just transition which is why I wanted to share my thoughts in the open. Only from sharing and learning can we develop a framework that will work for people.

So I will continue to share my work in the open in the hope that others will do the same so we can work together to deliver net zero for all.

What about you? What is on your mind when it comes to net zero? Do you have a different perspective to share?