Overview

Our expert team advises a broad range of clients on all aspects of community energy. This includes advising utilities and developers on how they can best deliver an appropriate level of community benefit as part of a proposed project (including advice on what level of community benefit might be suitable as well as the delivery method), advising local authorities and councils on their involvement in community energy projects and the delivery of community benefits and advising community groups on their own community-led projects as well as their relationships with other interested parties.

We are a member of Co-operatives UK and understand and support co-operative aims and principles and the law which regulates this form of jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise, often used (in the form of a community benefit society) for community-led energy projects.

Areas of focus

Our expertise in community energy includes the following:

  • Specific, in-depth, knowledge of applicable legislation and current market practice.
  • Advising on the best structure to meet your objectives.
  • Assisting with the implementation of your chosen structure.
  • Specialist advice on community benefit societies and Community Interest Companies (CICs).
  • Advising on debt and equity fundraisings.
  • Mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures.
  • Interacting with applicable regulatory bodies (eg planning authorities and the regulators who oversee certain types of community vehicle).
  • Advising on all other aspects of your project eg real estate, planning, grid, power and construction.
  • Advising on associated tax matters.
Experience

Advising a major retailer on its partnership with a community energy group and the use of a community benefit society to launch a share offer to raise funds to roll out rooftop solar panels across its real estate portfolio, with the ultimate goal of delivering tangible benefits to the communities local to the stores.

Advising a social enterprise organisation on a suitable structure, involving a community benefit society and several CICs, to deliver energy efficiency projects across the UK by bringing together the public and private sector.

Advising various developers on the formation of CICs to take advantage of legislation permitting two solar projects (one under 'community ownership') to share one MPAN. Advising on the subsequent sale of those CICs.

Advising a number of individuals on their investment into community energy group, Mongoose Energy.

Advising Big60Million, a new type of community benefit energy company created to share the benefits of UK solar farms with as many of the UK’s 60 million residents as possible, on aspects of several of its community bond offers.

Advising The Resilience Centre, a community renewables developer, on the formation of two community benefit societies and related community share offers, to generate investment for the construction and operation of two wind farms.

Advising Resilient Energy Great Dunkilns on a public offer document to raise £1.4 million in minibonds in order to construct and operate a community wind farm and deliver benefits back to the community local to the project.

Advising Westmill Solar Co-operative, a co-operative, on its constitution and on the structuring and implementation of a €5 million public share offer to raise finances to acquire the 5 MW Westmill solar park, including advice on all relevant exemptions from financial services legislation.

Advising an overseas government on proposed new energy sector community benefit regulations, which entailed advising on models used in the UK, several European jurisdictions and the USA. We were then involved in drafting the relevant legislation through to enactment.

Advising utilities, developers, local authorities and community groups on suitable structures through which communities can own and/or benefit from renewable energy projects. Clients include Good Energy, Peel Energy, OPDE, Belectric, RES, Awel Aman Tawe, Gower Power Co-op CIC, Gwent Energy CIC, Aber Valley Community Turbine and Bedlinog Community.

Meet the team
Camilla Usher-Clark

Camilla Usher-Clark Partner

  • Corporate
  • Energy and Utilities
  • Co-operatives
Elizabeth Dunn

Elizabeth Dunn Partner

  • Energy and Utilities
  • Infrastructure
  • Real Estate
Jonathan Eves

Jonathan Eves Partner

  • Corporate
  • Energy and Utilities
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
Ross Fairley

Ross Fairley Partner

  • Energy and Utilities
  • Head of Renewable Energy
  • Environment

What others say...

A forte for the group is advising public and private sector clients on procuring, developing and funding innovative projects.
Chambers UK 2023

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