DESNZ Community Energy Day
Sheffield Energy Works’ Lizzie & Lakshmi were invited to the Department for Energy Security Net Zero’s Community Energy Day. They left inspired by the incredible range of projects and the passion of people involved in the community energy sector.
The day was packed with insight from across the country, from geothermal energy in North Yorkshire to community energy clubs in Totnes, shared batteries in Lancaster, and fuel poverty initiatives in London.
The event offered a valuable opportunity to reflect on how community energy can support local decarbonisation, strengthen local economies, and deliver practical benefits for communities. Workshops explored topics ranging from energy in faith buildings to the Warm Homes Plan - prompting fresh thinking about how this work can continue to support vulnerable communities in Sheffield and beyond.
It was also a welcome chance to connect with others involved in community share offers and project development, and to exchange ideas on financing, delivery, and long-term impact. Here we are poictured with Ben Sharpe from Ethex, the ethical investment company, and Lee Barker from Pure Leapfrog, the community energy advice charity. We’ve worked closely with Ben and Lee on the development of our Community Share Offer for reMooable 2026.
We were pleased to contribute to the event by presenting work on the decarbonisation of the Our Cow Molly dairy farm in Sheffield, specifically our approach to a modular technology solution and commitment to community involvement. The response highlighted strong interest in the project and enthusiasm for following its progress, particularly as an example of how community energy can support place-based decarbonisation.
Among the other attendees, we met specialists in innovative technologies such as geothermal energy, who we’ll be working alongside on our Wentworth Woodhouse project, specialists in storytelling, and seasoned community energy experts.
A particularly valuable part of the day was the workshop on the Local Power Plan which gave community energy groups from across the UK the chance to raise concerns and outline priorities for DESNZ and Great British Energy. The discussion focused on overcoming barriers that have delayed community energy projects for years and on creating delivery mechanisms that enable local initiatives to thrive.
The day closed with a strong sense of momentum, with plenty of ideas to follow up, new connections to build on, and renewed confidence in the role community energy can play in delivering a fair and practical transition to Net Zero.
Pictured here are Lakshmi and Lizzie with Matthew Vickers, the new CEO of Community Energy England, who spoke to us at length about our project and its potential to inform future agricultural decarbonisation projects.