Tees Valley Mayor: 'Local community groups need to bid for £1.4bn clean energy fund'

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen is urging local community groups to take advantage of a £1.35m pot to deliver regional clean energy projects.

The Rural Community Energy Fund is being delivered by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority. It provides grant funding to rural community groups that want to develop their own renewable energy projects.

The cash will help support groups across the Tees Valley - along with the North East and Yorkshire and Humber - establish projects that could benefit the local community, like anaerobic digestion, heat networks, heat pumps, hydropower, solar PV and solar thermal.

The funding is available in two stages; the first stage grants are up to a maximum of £40k to develop feasibility studies to determine if a renewable energy project could work. No match funding is required.

The second stage of funding is up to a maximum of £100k and is available for advanced project development for projects with a clear business case.

Mayor Houchen concluded: “We have huge clean energy projects in the pipeline in the Tees Valley that will help us become the clean growth capital of Europe, bringing with them jobs and inward investment.

“This funding will make it easier than ever for community groups to become involved in the clean energy revolution and improve their areas with small-scale but no less important projects.

“I’d urge anyone to check whether they are eligible and get in touch to see how they could benefit.”