Supporting a just transition
Community de-carbonisation proposal
During early community consultations for the proposed Bodinglee Wind Farm, residents expressed strong support for renewable energy in principle, but also voiced frustration that they weren’t experiencing the benefits—particularly in the form of lower energy bills. This disconnect was attributed to structural issues in the UK’s energy grid and the prevalence of off-gas rural homes in the region.
However, the proposed Bodinglee Wind Farm presented a unique opportunity: its £53 million community benefit fund could be strategically invested to address both energy affordability and carbon reduction. A community survey conducted in July 2022 confirmed that tackling fuel poverty and ensuring visible, local benefits from renewable energy were top priorities. This feedback laid the foundation for a bold, community-led solution The Clydesdale Community Energy Transition Co. (CCETco)
CCETco is a innovative proposal with the aim of empowering local communities in Clydesdale to lead their own energy transition. Backed by community benefit funds from the proposed 259MW site, the initiative aims to tackle fuel poverty, reduce carbon emissions, and improve home energy efficiency through a community-owned and governed organisation.
Clydsdale Community Energy Transition Company
The opportunity
With a clear understanding of Clydesdale’s housing stock, fuel sources, and fuel poverty levels, our team worked with the experts at Natural Power to identify opportunities to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions through a ‘fabric-first’ approach—prioritising insulation and efficiency upgrades before introducing low-carbon heating and solar technologies.
Three delivery scenarios were modelled:
- Positive SROI: Focused on measures that deliver strong social value, including comfort and health benefits.
- Carbon focus: Prioritised interventions with the greatest carbon savings per pound invested.
- Fuel poverty focus: Targeted households with the highest energy burdens, ensuring at least £100 in annual savings.
All scenarios demonstrated strong returns: annual energy bill savings of £2.4–£4.4 million and carbon reductions of 4,000–10,000 tonnes CO₂e. The initiative could also generate 150–200 local job years, with up to 160 additional roles created through the community energy company itself—laying the foundation for a skilled local green workforce.
“Community benefit is better spent on improving insulation, installing heat pumps, and solar PV. Those investments keep on paying back over years and years. A combonation of those things as a package can see people’s energy bills substantially reduced and if we’re looking at it over a ten, 15 or 20 year time frame, the total benefits might be in the tens of thousands for a household.”
Louise Waters,
Natural Power.
Re-thinking community energy for an affordable energy transition
Funded by the wind farm, run by the community
Once home energy assessments are completed, the proposed Clydesdale Community Energy Transition Co. (CCETco) would use funds from the Bodinglee Wind Farm to bridge the gap between government grants and the actual cost of home improvements. OnPath Energy would support the community in establishing a governance panel to oversee how the estimated £53 million in benefit payments is invested.
How the community will have their say
The CCETco would be a community-owned legal entity—such as a charity or social enterprise—empowering local residents to decide how community benefit funds are invested, including options like energy upgrades or direct bill support.
OnPath Energy would assist in establishing the organisation, funding a development manager and early pilot projects. A governance structure would include professional roles funded by the benefit proposal, with advisory input from South Lanarkshire Council, local councillors, OnPath Energy, businesses, and energy experts. This model ensures strong community leadership and long-term regional impact.
Proposed solutions
- Home energy assessments: Offer surveys to evaluate the energy efficiency of local homes.
- Installer coordination: Organise trusted contractors to deliver energy efficiency upgrades.
- Funding support: Use wind farm funds to top up government grants and finance improvements.
- Community ownership and governance: Establish a legal entity (e.g. charity or social enterprise) owned by the community, with decision-making power over how funds are invested.
- Equity stake in wind farm: Gift of 1% ownership in the wind farm, with an option to purchase an additional 9% at market value. If declined, an enhanced benefit payment would be provided.
- Pilot projects and staffing: Fund early-stage pilot projects and hire a development manager to lead implementation.
- Inclusive governance panel: Include representatives from the community, South Lanarkshire Council, OnPath Energy, local businesses, and energy experts to guide the organisation.
- Flexible delivery pathways: Allow the community to decide how best to use the funds—whether for insulation, bill support, or other locally defined needs.
Seeing the bigger picture
The Clydesdale Community Energy Transition Company is an example of an innovative approach taken by OnPath Energy when developing community benefits packages.
By listening to and working with local communities we learned that local people wanted to feel like they were benefitting directly from Bodinglee Wind Farm being located in their area (should it be approved).
The independent report undertaken by Natural Power to devise a series of route-maps would directly help 6,500 households near the Bodinglee site with household bills while also reducing their carbon footprint.
By funding energy efficiency initiatives ranging from home insulation to new heat sources (like heat pumps and solar panels) the community benefit fund could help local people reduce their energy bills in the long term between £2 -£4 million each year.
An innovative approach that we believe is supporting a just transition to renewable energy that is fair and inclusive for everyone – this is what we call OnPath Together.