Local Authorities, Cities and Regions Membership

Local leadership can help transform our energy system. The Local Authorities, Cities and Regions membership has been developed to help support local and regional bodies respond to the climate emergency and the transformation of our energy system, offering support on issues such as procuring local renewable electricity, planning for electric vehicles, working with local energy networks, energy efficiency and supply chain.

Benefits of Local Authority Membership

Regen’s mission is to transform the world’s energy systems for a zero carbon future. But we can’t do it alone. Together with our members we provide an expert and highly influential voice for the policies and market innovation required to drive us to net zero. Join us and invest in a zero carbon energy future.

Local Authorities, Cities and Regions membership is £5,000 + VAT per year.

Get support

We will use our 15 year experience in the energy sector and our extensive membership and network to support you through regular meetings with a dedicated relationship manager.

As well as phone and email support, the membership covers up to 3 days of consultancy time from Regen experts. This can be used to run or help arrange workshops, attend meetings, provide evidence, or give advice on projects and much more.

You will also receive our timely member newsletters and policy updates.

Track progress

You will receive an annual progress report detailing your journey towards local decarbonisation.

This report from Regen’s expert analysts will help you engage your stakeholders in local progress and action.

The report will collate and present data for your area in comparison with others and help you track annual progress on decarbonising heat, power and transport.

More bespoke progress reports are also available and additional work to create these would be quoted for on a 25% discount to our typical day rate.

Have influence

You will be invited to contribute to our new cities and regions working group.

The group will enable local authorities to come together with experts to examine the latest issues in energy such as procuring and supporting local renewable energy, local network investment, supporting net zero action plans, developing heat and EV strategies.

Regen will use its extensive relationships with policy makers and regulators to ensure the views of local authorities on localism in energy and energy infrastructure are clearly communicated to BEIS and Ofgem.

Key priorities

Here are our key policy recommendations for national government,
to better support local authorities:

To release local leadership across the whole of the UK:
Introduce a new statutory duty for local authorities on net zero energy, with appropriate funding, resources and reporting to deliver against it.
To unlock local authorities’ role in energy network planning and investment: Establish a formal governance role for UK regions over the future of critical energy infrastructure.
To enable local roll-out of energy efficiency measures: Give control of retrofit funding, including ECO, to local government.
To enable true zero carbon new development: Raise the ambition of the Future Homes Standard to be net zero compliant and allow local authorities the freedom to be more ambitious than the national decarbonisation timetable.
To deliver a low carbon transport system in the context of Covid-19: Offer guidance and significant funding to local authorities through the creation of a funded low carbon transport plan.
To support a green economic recovery and transformation: Focus economic recovery on the energy transition, which offers skilled jobs, world-leading research opportunities, and high value capital investment, as well as progress towards net zero carbon emissions.

7. To build social permission for radical change: Develop a national net zero carbon strategy and use it to drive regular communications on climate issues and policy development.

8. To enable local authorities to invest in the future energy system: Include energy projects as a suitable category in future lending terms for the Public Works Loan Board and reverse recent interest rate increases.

9. To enable local authorities to support community energy projects: Issue guidance for local authorities on how to set up new Power Purchase Agreements to fund new community energy projects.

10. To support the development of smart local energy systems: Introduce shared network access for local projects in the current Ofgem review of network access charges and press ahead with mandatory half-hourly settlement of electricity to support smart energy tariffs.

You can read more about our recommendations here. Together, we can help your local authority achieve net zero.

Let Poppy Maltby know if you’re interested in becoming a member.

Existing work

In July 2020, Hazel Williams published a paper entitled “Local leadership to transform our energy system”, with invaluable insights from local authorities including West Midlands and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Bath & North East Somerset Council and Cornwall Council. View the report here.

We have recently completed a carbon neutrality study for Bristol City Council assessing scenarios for decarbonising the area against business as usual. View the report here.

In 2019, we worked with Cornwall Council on the concept of Energy Innovation Zones – producing the evidence and pitch for them to take to BEIS for funding. View the project outline here.

View our full list of resources and guidance for local authorities here.

Download the full report here.

Let's work together and create a low carbon future

We offer a lower tier and upper tier membership package. Get in touch with Poppy to determine which package would suit your needs best.

Become a member Contact Poppy to find out more