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At Thrive, we recognise the important role battery storage has to play and are busy building our second project &#8211; a 20 MW site &#8211; in Bristol.
Read more about the background to the project (it involves a campaign to stop 48 diesel generators being built near a local nursery school!) and what it means for net zero in <a href="https://www.positive.news/society/a-key-piece-of-the-puzzle-for-a-more-energy-secure-uk-storage-and-more-of-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our article with Positive News.</a>

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Thrive’s Managing Director, Matthew, and Investment Manager, Tom, sat down with Positive News to talk about our battery projects and why they are so critical to the energy system of the future.

A key piece of the puzzle for a more energy-secure UK? More storage!

Historically we’ve been caught up in a cycle of investing in more fossil fuels as a knee jerk reaction to problems caused by  disruption to fossil fuel supplies. This creates an unhelpful loop of dependence in which UK billpayers are left exposed to price hikes determined by unpredictable international oil and gas markets. And despite calls from some politicians to drill more at home, doubling down on UK oil and gas production won’t save billpayers a penny as gas prices are set on global gas markets regardless of where the gas is produced.
To build a truly resilient power system, protected from price shocks, we need to break the cycle of reinvesting in fossil fuels, and focus on increasing homegrown clean energy here in the UK. Unlike fossil fuels, wholesale prices for wind and solar aren’t tied to international commodity markets, offering a stable cost for electricity. The Climate Change Committee has found that the UK Government can deliver its long-term net-zero target <a href="https://www.edie.net/ccc-uks-net-zero-transition-can-cost-less-than-managing-one-energy-price-crisis/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=edie_daily_news_alert_11-03-2026&amp;utm_content=edie_daily_news_alert_11-03-2026+CID_d5ec660957e5cecd9adbeda7da88dad7&amp;utm_source=campaign%20monitor&amp;utm_term=CCC%20UKs%20net-zero%20transition%20can%20cost%20less%20than%20managing%20one%20energy%20price%20crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for less than it spent responding to the energy price crisis</a> in 2022 resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war.
But delivering “net zero” is much more than just wires and turbines. Community-led clean energy projects enable local people to take control of their power in the face of global crises. Profits from the sale of electricity from local renewables projects go into the pockets of local people, not large corporates. Take the Ambition Community Energy wind turbine in Bristol which Thrive helped fund – as well as generating enough clean electricity to power around 3,000 homes, all profits from electricity sales (around £100,000 a year) go to the community. Projects like this that are built locally have a big impact nationally – strengthening energy security and reducing UK carbon emissions.
We’ve got a long way to go to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and boost energy security. But together we are already making progress in delivering a cleaner, more resilient energy system – last year, renewables generated nearly half of the UK’s total electricity demand.  For 30 years Thrive has been leading the charge on renewables, helping to fund over 45 wind, solar and hydro projects and investing over £21 million into community energy projects that put people in control of clean energy in their area. But we’re not stopping there. The need for reliable, homegrown energy in the UK is greater than ever. And in times like these, a proactive response isn’t doom-scrolling or wishful thinking, it’s getting on with building proven, homegrown solutions.
<a href="/newsletter">Join our newsletter</a> for more insights on energy and climate, plus the latest Thrive news.

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We have the solution to the energy crisis: cheap, reliable, renewable power. But we need to break the fossil fuel cycle.

The Iran war has brought home the need for clean, homegrown energy

Earlier this month you were awarded an OBE at Windsor Castle, which is an amazing achievement. What did that mean to you? 
It was a huge honour. It was just the most fabulous day and to share it with my family was amazing. The whole experience has been surreal, but the thing that has really blown me away has been the support in response to me getting the OBE, which actually has meant more to me than the award itself. I&#8217;m now in the space of, OK, now I&#8217;ve got it, how do I use it productively for further good? So it&#8217;s a real mixed emotion piece but fundamentally just surreal and a huge, huge honour.
You were awarded the OBE for services to net zero and diversity in the energy sector. Can you tell us a bit more about your work supporting women in energy? 
I&#8217;m one of the co-founders of the Women&#8217;s Utility Network (WUN) which we started eight years ago. And it started from a group of us sat around the lunch table recognising that whilst we all had senior roles in our organisations, the statistics were woeful in terms of female representation throughout the whole utility sector, particularly in senior roles We were all determined to do something to improve those statistics Right from that first lunch, the guiding lights were that whatever it was it had to be practical support for women and it had to be freely accessible &#8211; you shouldn&#8217;t have to pay because you&#8217;re a woman. So that set the business model and it&#8217;s really chimed with so many people. And I&#8217;m just beyond proud that we&#8217;ve now grown to 11,000 members and we&#8217;re now really being able to have an impact, even at government level.
What do you think are the biggest challenges that women face in the sector and what do you think needs to be done about it?
I think the energy sector can be quite a lonely place to be as a woman. The further up an organisation you go, the tighter the pyramid, and I think a lot of women get to a certain level and then step out of the sector because actually it&#8217;s exhausting if you&#8217;re the only woman in the room on a consistent basis. That’s why finding support &#8211; finding your tribe &#8211; is so important. I’m a massive believer in inclusion and diversity because different thoughts and different perspectives bring real benefits to a business. You can see it and you can feel it where that actually works. Thrive being a really good example.
What developments in the sector are you most excited about right now?
We&#8217;re recording this in a really difficult time when the Iran war is really quite scary. But I think if you take a step back and you look at where the sector is, we now have clear signals in terms of renewables.
The evidence is there in spades, in terms of we have to get off fossil fuels, and it feels like the snowball is now unstoppable. And that for me, from where I started 30 years ago to now, is hugely positive. I think the interweave of energy, of heat, of transport, of housing, is becoming increasingly important because the solutions come from bits of all of them. And I think that&#8217;s where I can see, particularly with the growth of technology and AI, those things beginning to accelerate and really move forward together.
What do you think are some of the biggest challenges facing the sector right now?
I think policy certainty is always the biggest challenge and has been throughout my 30 years in the sector. Policy pace is also incredibly frustrating. We often spend so long consulting and developing policy, that actually the market has moved on in the meantime. I think from a regulation perspective, it&#8217;s just a fact that regulation was designed for the old energy system when we had few players and just large fossil fuel fired generation. And we&#8217;ve tinkered ever since then, but we&#8217;ve not fundamentally changed. That causes a lot of unintended consequences in the market, which are not necessarily helpful. Geopolitics too is a massive challenge, both before the Iran war and increasingly so now. I mean, it really is quite terrifying how interlinked geopolitics and our energy landscape is. And so it&#8217;s one that we need to keep a really, really close watch on.
As the Chair of Thrive’s Board, could you share with us how you feel about working with Thrive?
I have the absolute privilege of being the Chair of the Thrive Board, which is a joy. And I work with some really great people on the board. What makes the board really successful, is that it&#8217;s very diverse. So we&#8217;ve got a real range of age, experience, male, female and different nationalities contributing. But we all share a common purpose. We&#8217;re all very driven in terms of Thrive&#8217;s mission and bringing energy and people together. And I think that gives us real strength and momentum. Whilst we have this really clear purpose and action, we&#8217;ve also got very strong governance, risk management and commerciality. So it&#8217;s that balance between doing the right thing but doing it well. And I think the results speak for themselves.
What advice would you give to somebody looking to pursue a career in renewable energy?
Number one, do it. I&#8217;ve been in this industry for 30 years and I originally thought it was going to be quite boring, but actually it&#8217;s the most fascinating place to be. I think it&#8217;s really important to remember that renewables is not just about STEM. We really need STEM expertise in the sector, but actually there are so many different roles within the sector that you can find opportunities whatever your skill set. And actually, really importantly for me, the transition to net zero gives a real sense of common purpose whatever discipline you work in. And I think there&#8217;s a common theme among people who work in the sector that we&#8217;re doing something that&#8217;s good, both for people and planet. And that has huge personal reward. So do it and be curious. Go and ask lots of questions. Go and get stuck in. Have a go and see where the path takes you.

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Read the full interview as Jo shares stories from her 30 years in renewable energy, becoming a leading voice for the sector. 

“The snowball is now unstoppable”: Thrive’s Chair, Jo Butlin OBE, shares her thoughts on the future of renewables

Capable of generating over 7,000MWh of clean electricity a year, the equivalent of powering more than 2,000 average Scottish homes [2], the 2.5MW community turbine will deliver over 3,000 tonnes of carbon emissions reductions annually [3].  
This is the first project to be funded by Community Energy Catalyst (CEC), Thrive’s joint venture with Better Society Capital. Thrive initially provided a £4 million loan to Attix CIC in 2023 to fund construction and operation and this was transferred to CEC in July 2025. 
Now operational, Kilbirnie wind turbine will directly benefit local causes, with all profits from electricity sales going into Radio City’s programme of sustainable development projects that address the need for capital investment in a new Employment Hub, offering employment and training opportunities for local people, improve sustainable transport opportunities and help to address health and educational inequalities locally, as well as upgrading local sports and recreational facilities [4]. 
It will also support the charity’s ongoing work to address the substantial fuel poverty in its community through assistance with energy vouchers, distribution of halogen heaters and electric blankets, as well as and one to one advice to combat and reduce peoples’ energy bills.

This watershed moment for community energy follows the UK Government and Great British Energy publishing its Local Power Plan this month, aiming to invest £1 billion in locally owned clean energy projects and ensure communities directly benefit from the schemes they host [5].

The collaborative approach to funding the wind turbine provides a blueprint for financing the community-led energy transition from the ground up. It brings together £5.6 million in blended finance – £1.6 million in social investment from Social Investment Scotland and £4 million from Community Energy Catalyst. Local Energy Scotland supported the project through planning and design with a loan from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). The project has also received a combination of Great British Energy and Scottish Government grant funding via CARES.

[1] The project operates on a ‘merchant’ basis selling electricity on a purely commercial basis, without government price support mechanisms such as Contracts for Difference or historic Feed-in Tariffs. 
[2] Calculated using the most recent subnational statistics from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) showing that average domestic household consumption in Scotland is 3,429.3kWh per annum. 
[3] Carbon reduction is calculated by multiplying the estimated annual generation (7GWh) by the number of tonnes of carbon which fossil fuels would produce to generate the same amount of electricity. We have used DESNZ’s “all non-renewable fuels” emissions statistic of 448 tonnes of carbon dioxide per GWh of electricity supplied from the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (July 2025) Table 5.14 (“Estimated carbon dioxide emissions from electricity supplied”). 
[4] ATTIX CIC is a Community Interest Company established, and asset locked to Radio City Association Ltd to develop the community turbine in Kilbirnie. 
[5] According to its recent strategic plan, Great British Energy (GBE) plans to support over 1,000 community energy groups to take a stake in the UK energy transition.

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