This guide to developing community-led local energy plans aims to help communities and other stakeholders understand what is involved and how to go about developing a local energy plan.

The guide was developed as part of the Delivering COmmunity BENefits of Civic Energy (COBEN) project. The COBEN project considers the role that civic society can play as a key driver to support a transition to renewables-based energy and the role that can be played by community-owned renewable energy enterprises that provide tangible economic, environmental and social benefits.

This guide is supported by an online toolkit that provides additional guidance, templates and example materials developed as part of the pilot.

The guide further develops areas of energy masterplanning identified in the Guide to Energy Masterplanning (2015) produced by Scottish Enterprise. Reference is made to the Scottish Government’s Energy Strategy; this guide was created in the policy context current at the time and it is intended that will be updated to remain consistent and relevant as policy develops.

The guide contains:

  • an introduction
  • wider context to local energy plans
  • the community-led local energy plan journey at a glance
  • methodology overview
  • appendix – proposed contents of a community-led local energy plan
  • appendix – supporting information.

Version 4: March 2021