About

The Colne Valley Community Energy Project (CEP) began In the summer of 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine and energy prices began to rise. Essex County Council sent out an invitation to an online public meeting on CEPs, to facilitate installing solar panels and batteries in residents' homes, to help ECC reach their Net Zero targets and to help residents cut their bills. I already had installed solar and batteries in my own home, and had found my energy bills were much more affordable as a result. At the time the news was all about the difficulties people would have finding the money to heat their homes and feed their families in the winter. I wanted to help.

I want everyone to have affordable energy bills like mine, so I attended the ECC online meeting and expressed interest in trying to set up a project in my area: Chappel and Wakes Colne. I was then introduced to Jane Taylor, Chair of White Colne Parish Council, who was interested in setting a project up in White Colne. Our parishes were too small individually, but large enough together for a viable Community Energy Project.

As we started to spread the word about the project residents of other parishes expressed interest and our CEP expanded to included Chappel, Wakes Colne, White Colne, Great Tey, Earl’s Colne and Colne Engaine. 

We have written about the Project in local magazines and held public meetings. We invited Tom Day Head of Energy and Low Carbon at  ECC, and Jon Cape of Power Circle, a social enterprise dedicated to supporting social housing providers, private house owners, communities, and the private sector access affordable, low carbon energy. They both helped explain the project, and this generated many requests from residents for more information. Most of these enquiries are either still in progress, or have already resulted in successful installations such as on our Case Studies page. 

We have also been approached by a number of other councils asking for information on the project, eg Halstead, Kelvedon and Finchingfield, who have gone on to hold, or plan, their own public meetings on CEPs. 

At the Halstead public meeting we were fortunate to be introduced to Karl Handy, who has magically produced this very informative website. On it you will find, amongst further information about the project, a list of frequently asked questions which will hopefully explain more about the logistics and benefits of this project. If they don't, and you need more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Jill Bruce

Lead Climate Ambassador

Federation of Essex WIs