Over £500,000 is being invested in boosting renewable energy community projects across England, according to the Department for Environment.

Thirty local renewable energy projects have become the first recipients of the government’s Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) this year. The projects "represent a spectrum of technologies, including community scale anaerobic digestion, solar power, hydro and wind as well as renewable and low carbon heat networks," a statement from the government said.

In Cumbria, RCEF is supporting a project aiming to provide heat directly to a local primary school from a community-owned anaerobic digestion facility.

A community group in the south west of England will use the funding to site solar panels on commercial and community buildings in its market town.

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A joint initiative between Defra and DECC, the £15 million Rural Community Energy Fund was created to help community groups based in rural areas develop their own local renewable energy projects. It provides up to £150,000 of funding to individual projects for feasibility and pre-planning development work.

Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Dan Rogerson said: "This fund will strengthen the rural economy, safeguard the environment, and will allow communities to unlock the potential of renewable energy. Since launching we’ve seen a wide range of projects given the green light and I urge more people to apply and make the most of this opportunity to get their local project off the ground."

Energy and Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker said: "It’s great to see so many communities across the UK benefitting from local clean energy. I want to see more communities becoming producers of energy – powering schools, market towns and community centres sustainably – and boosting their economy at the same time.

"It’s initiatives like this that are so important for achieving my vision for the Big 60,000 and I wish WRAP every continued success."

Richard Swannell, Director of WRAP, said: "RCEF is helping communities to not only think about renewable energy, but achieve it and reap the benefits locally. I’m delighted by the interest we’ve received, and the ambitious nature of projects we’ve had in the first year. It’s helped give renewable energy a boost from the ground up."

(IT/MH)