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Latest news

To help fund this exciting period of growth, today we have launched a new share offer on the Triodos Bank Crowdfunding platform, aiming to raise £5 million to build new clean energy projects that will cut carbon emissions, help reduce household bills and benefit communities.
<a href="https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/thrive-renewables" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the offer document and invest</a>.
You will need to register for Triodos Bank’s crowdfunding platform to access the offer document. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. <a href="/risk-summary/">Take 2 mins to learn more</a>. 
Our co-investment partnership with TopCashback Sustainability, will enable us to deploy an additional £40 million of capital by match funding what we invest. We’ve also recently announced a new joint venture with leading social impact investor, Better Society Capital, bringing together £40 million for community-owned wind and solar projects across the UK. Fair Play Clean Energy, Thrive’s joint venture with TopCashback Sustainability, will provide £20 million of the investment, with Better Society Capital providing matched funding.

Strong financial performance 
Last year saw us make significant progress with our growth strategy, securing the rights to build a 12.6MW wind farm in Wales and 57MW wind farm in the Scottish Borders, which is now under construction.
These new deals complement our existing operational portfolio of 24 projects which generated £11.3 million in operating profit (£9.3 million in profit after tax and minority interests) on a revenue of £26 million in 2024. In 2024, 20.6 million was reinvested back into building new renewable projects, while our existing wind, solar and hydro projects generated over 132,000 MWh of clean electricity and delivered emissions reductions equivalent to 61,810 tCO₂e.
A dividend of 12 pence per share has been recommended by the board for shareholder approval at the AGM in June. If approved, the dividend will be paid in July 2025.
Other recent developments include the construction of the ATTIX CIC community-owned wind turbine in Kilbirnie and the installation of the generation turbine at United Downs in Cornwall, with both sites expected to be operational in the coming months.

Now open, the minimum investment in the crowdfunding offer is £247 (100 shares) and shares can be held in a self-invested personal pension (SIPP). The company is targeting 5-8% return per year through a combination of dividends and increasing share value. This should be seen as a long-term investment. As with all investments, returns are not guaranteed, and investors may not get back all, or any, of their original investment.
<a href="https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/thrive-renewables" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the offer document</a>.
You should read the offer document in full before deciding whether to invest. Investing in the shares of a company involves risks, including potential for loss of capital and future dilution, lack of dividends and lack of liquidity, and should only be considered as part of a diversified investment portfolio. If you are unsure as to the suitability of the investment, you should contact an independent financial advisor.
This financial promotion was approved on 7 May 2025 by Triodos Bank UK Limited, registered in England and Wales with no. 11379025. Registered Office: Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AS, United Kingdom. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 817008.

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We’re looking to raise £5 million to help fund our project pipeline, including two ready to build onshore wind farms totalling over 69MW. 

Thrive launches new share offer following record year of capacity growth

Featured

Through our community benefit programme, we’re pleased to be able to support another ten shared buildings – located within 20 miles of one of our clean energy projects – with grants totalling over £30,000. With support from national energy charity, Centre for Sustainable Energy, up to £4,000 has been awarded to each of these community organisations so that they can make sustainability and energy efficiency improvements ahead of winter, including roof, window and wall insulation, double glazing and LED lighting.
With this latest round included, we have awarded 51 grants to 43 buildings since 2016, totalling over £150,000. These improvements save over 75 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
As part of round six, we have awarded grants to:
<ul>
<li>Eastside Community Trust – near our Feeder Road battery project in Bristol</li>
<li>Birsay Community Hall – near our Sigurd wind turbine in Orkney</li>
<li>Shutlanger Hall – near our Wicken battery project outside Milton Keynes</li>
<li>Bridgehouse Community Association – near our wind farm in Drumduff, Scotland</li>
<li>Hawkesbury Hospital Hall – near our Feeder Road battery project in Bristol</li>
<li>Colne Village Hall – near our Ransonmoor wind farm in March, Cambridgeshire</li>
<li>Wrentham Village Hall – near our Ness Point wind turbine in Ipswich</li>
<li>Helmdon Reading Room – near our Wicken battery project outside Milton Keynes</li>
<li>Knowle West Media Centre – near our Feeder Road battery project in Bristol</li>
<li>Strichen Playgroup – near our Clayfords and Auchtygills wind farms in Strichen, Aberdeenshire</li>
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During challenging times, community buildings can offer a warm, safe place for people to come together and socialise. Thrive is offering grants to shared buildings close to our clean energy sites to improve energy efficiency and lower bills.

Helping community buildings become a warm hub this winter

Put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was brilliant to be able to meet lots of new and engaged faces to our four-turbine site in Avonmouth. Attendees had an opportunity to peep inside one of the 2MW operational turbines on site, as well as enjoy a range of other wind-related activities for the whole family including Explorer Dome’s climate change show, face painting and more. The Centre for Sustainable Energy were also on hand to provide advice on energy efficiency.
Coinciding with the start of Great Big Green Week – a national initiative led by the Climate Coalition to celebrate community action in fighting the climate crisis – we wanted to continue the conversation about climate change and how onshore wind projects are part of the solution. We were thrilled by the enthusiasm shown for the turbines and the number of insightful questions asked – with lots coming from well informed budding engineers of the future!
A massive thank you to everyone that joined us, from our excited guests to the exhibitors who helped make it such a valuable event for the community.
Below are just some of the brilliant moments captured from across the day.

As part of Great Big Green Week, we invited the wider Bristol community to join us at our Avonmouth wind farm to learn more about onshore wind and its role in tackling the climate emergency.

Meeting budding engineers of the future at our sold out Bristol open day

The project will also see the site’s biodiversity increase by more than 40%, a £40,000 fund for local community-led, sustainable projects created and over £1m spent on services and contracts in the local area.
Thrive has already provided funding to the UK’s first deep geothermal power plant, which is construction at United Downs, near Redruth.
Similarly to United Downs, the second site at Penhallow will be made up of two deep wells. The first will reach approximately 4,500 metres deep and will bring the naturally heated water to the surface, whilst the second well will be around 3,000 metres deep and will be used to return the cooled fluid back under ground after it has been used to produce electricity and heat. Construction works are expected to start next year, with generation estimated to start in 2026 – delivering circa 42,000 MWh of baseload renewable electricity per year, enough to power around 11,000 UK homes and save 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, according to GEL.

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UD 10

Planning for Geothermal Engineering Ltd’s second geothermal power plant in Cornwall has been granted, with works expected to start in 2023.

Investing into the next phase in geothermal electricity production

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The new polling, undertaken by Opinium Research, surveyed 1,000 UK retail investors alongside 2,000 people from the general population. The findings show that seven in 10 investors (69%) think we should increase the amount the UK invests in renewable energy, despite the position of the new Prime Minister, who has indicated that she will restrict development in renewables.
Specifically, 65% of retail investors support more solar energy projects in the UK, which rises to 78% of seasoned investors that have been investing for 10 years or more. Meanwhile, 62% support more onshore wind projects (rising to 72% of experienced investors).
<h3>Future thinking investors funding renewables themselves</h3>
8 in 10 investors (81%) say they are concerned about the long-term implications of the energy crisis, with many (57%) wanting to use their investing power to help bring down energy costs for all. Over half (56%) say that, as an investor, they feel a responsibility to use their investments to help the UK achieve its net-zero carbon goals.
Prompted by this desire for positive change in the energy sector, nearly six in 10 investors (57%) have recently, or plan to, increase their investments in renewables. This attitude, in support of investing in renewable energy, is shared by the UK population as a whole, with two-thirds (66%) wanting investment in renewables to increase.
<h3>Thrive&#8217;s crowdfunding campaign reaches £5 million</h3>
Our current share offer provides further proof of public support for investing in renewables. We have now raised more than £5 million from over 1,000 investors to fund new renewable energy generation and storage projects across the UK. We are aiming to raise a total of £7 million. The offer is promoted by Triodos Bank UK through its crowdfunding platform (<a href="https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/thrive-renewables-plc-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">find out more here</a>) with a minimum investment of £94 (40 shares). As with all investments, returns are not guaranteed, and investors may not get back all, or any, of their original investment.
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Thrive Renewables

UK retail investors are deeply concerned about the climate and energy crisis and want to take matters into their own hands by investing in renewables to find long-term, sustainable solutions, according to our new research.

Investors back renewables in bid to solve energy and climate crisis as Thrive's share offer reaches £5 million

We are pleased to report a significant increase in generation and associated emissions savings as wind speeds returned to expected levels in the first half of 2022 and new clean energy projects came into operation.
A 38% increase on the same period last year, our clean energy projects generated 73,625 MWh of clean electricity<a class="js-scroll-done" href="/latest-news/news/thrive-s-2022-half-year-results-reveal-increase-in-generation/#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> – enough to power the equivalent of almost 40,000 average UK homes<a class="js-scroll-done" href="/latest-news/news/thrive-s-2022-half-year-results-reveal-increase-in-generation/#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a> – and delivered emissions reductions equivalent to 32,653 tonnes of CO2 during January to June 2022.
Half year operating profits were £3.4m on a turnover of £8.4m, with shareholders receiving a final dividend of 7p per share for 2021, which was paid in July 2022.
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Good progress has been made with our diversification strategy, which includes the construction of three commercial solar rooftop sites as part of our work with Olympus Power. We’ve also begun works on our 20MW battery storage site at Feeder Road in Bristol, with the project expected to be connected to the grid later this year.
In April, we finalised our investment in Ambition Community Energy, with our unique collaborative funding model helping to get England’s biggest onshore wind turbine into construction after years of planning work. With a capacity of 4.2MW, the turbine will be capable of generating enough power for close to 3,000 homes – the equivalent of Lawrence Weston’s domestic use. The project will also save almost 120,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over its lifetime. Groundwork is now underway, and commissioning is expected in Spring next year.

Our mission to decarbonise the energy system and tackle climate change also saw us named as a Best for the World B Corp for the second year running, putting us in the top 5% of global B Corps for our positive impact on the environment, and highly commended for financial leadership at the British Renewable Energy Awards.
We are currently crowdfunding for £7 million to further increase our impact by building new clean energy projects across the UK. To find out more and register, visit<a href="https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/thrive-renewables-plc-2022"> Triodos Bank’s crowdfunding platform here.</a> Remember, investing comes with risk. Returns are not guaranteed, and you may not get back all, or any, of your original investment.
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<a class="js-scroll-done" href="/latest-news/news/thrive-s-2022-half-year-results-reveal-increase-in-generation/#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Refers to Thrive’s impact portfolio – total electricity generation of the portfolio adjusted for Thrive’s proportion of ownership, plus the projects Thrive is funding.
<a class="js-scroll-done" href="/latest-news/news/thrive-s-2022-half-year-results-reveal-increase-in-generation/#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Calculated using the most recent statistics from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) showing that UK average domestic household consumption is 3,748 kWh per annum (1874 kWh for a half year) www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained

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Guardian group shot ACE

Good wind resource and strong progress with diversification strategy reflected in positive performance.

Thrive's 2022 half year results reveal increase in generation

From 10am – 3pm on Saturday 24 September, we’re inviting you to join us at our Avonmouth wind farm in Bristol for a day filled with fun activities for the whole family. Take a tour of the site, peek into the base of a turbine with one of Thrive’s experts, watch the lively, interactive climate change show by <a href="http://www.explorerdome.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Explorer Dome</a> and enjoy lots of other wind-related activities for kids, from arts and crafts to face painting and more. Entry is by ticket only and places are limited, please visit the <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/avonmouth-wind-farm-free-family-open-day-tickets-407360986677" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eventbrite page here to book</a>.
The event takes place at the start of <a href="https://greatbiggreenweek.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#GreatBigGreenWeek</a> – the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature, started by the Climate Coalition.
This will be Thrive’s first open day since 2019, after putting the event on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions. Some transport will be provided from the city centre and Lawrence Weston.

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Caton Moor

For the first time since 2019, we’re hosting an open day! You’ll have chance to tour our wind farm at Avonmouth in Bristol, learn more about renewable energy and enjoy lots of other fun activities on-site as #GreatBigGreenWeek kicks off.

Get up close to an operational wind turbine at our free family open day

A battery energy storage system (BESS) charges itself by taking energy from the grid or power plant e.g., a solar array and then discharging that energy later when needed. As we move towards a more renewables-based energy system, battery storage is becoming more critical. This is because it helps provide greater flexibility, enabling higher levels of renewable energy to be integrated onto the grid – i.e. storing energy when it’s really windy, for example, and releasing it when demand peaks.
Power from smaller MW batteries like our Feeder Road site can be combined (aggregated) so that they provide a larger storage resource. This is where software platforms, such as those provided by Flexitricity, become incredibly important as they help provide oversight of multiple batteries, ensuring that they work together to match the consumption demand of our towns and cities.

Flexitricity pioneered the demand side response industry in Great Britain thirteen years ago and has added a host of grid scale and behind-the-meter battery storage projects to its ‘virtual power plant’ platform which aggregates multiple sites benefiting customers as well as the national energy system. Flexitricity has a contracted virtual power plant of over 800MW and this agreement pushes the contracted portfolio of batteries to over 330MW.

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The agreement will allow the lithium-ion BESS site to be monitored and dynamically optimised from Flexitricity’s 24/7 control room in Edinburgh.

Thrive joins forces with aggregator, Flexitricity, on 20MW battery project in Bristol

We’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has participated in our share offer so far –with your help we’ve raised over £4 million to support our mission of building new clean energy projects that reduce carbon emissions and ultimately help tackle the climate emergency.
We’re now working towards our end goal of raising over £5 million (with a maximum raise of £10 million). The crowdfund marks the first step in our ambitious growth plans as we seek to further diversify and expand our portfolio, creating value across the electricity system as it transitions to net zero by 2035.
As well as investing in new renewable generation and battery projects, the funding generated will help support local communities looking to take a meaningful stake in the energy transition. We aim to continue investing collaboratively with community energy groups so that they can build their own projects and take control of their energy supply.

Minimum investment in the crowdfunding offer is £94 (40 shares) and shares can be held in a self-invested personal pension (SIPP). We are targeting 5-8% return per year through a combination of dividends and increasing share value. As with all investments, returns are not guaranteed, and investors may not get back all, or any, of their original investment.
The crowdfund launched on 27 June via Triodos Bank’s crowdfunding platform and we expect it to close by the end of September.

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TIDE &amp; ISE 2018

There’s still an opportunity to help us expand our portfolio of clean energy projects, from onshore wind to commercial rooftop solar and battery storage.

We've hit the £4 million milestone in our crowdfund - But we're not stopping there!

In response, there have been some significant policy announcements by government, including the Energy Security Bill, which is currently being read by Parliament, and a fundamental review of the UK electricity market. Currently gas prices dictate wholesale electricity costs and we have been calling for this to come to an end for some time – it is unacceptable that UK energy consumers are still not able to fully access the economic benefits of renewables.
Below we unpick the changing energy landscape, the proposed policy and market changes and what this means for the future roll-out of renewables in the UK.
<h3>Why are energy prices so high?</h3>
Ultimately, prices are high because of the way the electricity market is currently structured. Energy suppliers and generators trade electricity in half-hourly auctions, with the National Grid responsible for matching supply and demand. Bids for each half hour of demand are stacked in price order, starting with the least expensive and flexible generators – renewables – and the price is then set by the last and most expensive generator into the auction – often, gas.
This means that the end price we pay for electricity is susceptible to any wider volatility in the gas market, which has become increasingly strained due to a global supply shortage. Several geo-political issues are also at play, including the world’s response to the invasion of Ukraine.
With gas flows being restricted by Russia, the government has subsequently raised concerns over the country’s energy security and the need to end our dependence on fossil fuel imports. That’s where the energy security bill comes in.
<h3>The energy security bill</h3>
The Energy Security Bill was published in July, containing 26 measures that ministers claim will help reduce the UK’s dependence on imported gas. As we <a href="/latest-news/blog/energy-security-strategy-a-disappointing-result-for-onshore-wind-but-there-s-still-reasons-to-be-hopeful/">outlined in our initial response</a>, it was positive to see the government aligning the strategy to net zero and recognising the important role renewables will play in both reducing carbon emissions and lowering the cost of energy long term.
However, we were disappointed to see a lack of support for certain clean technologies such as onshore wind, especially as <a class="js-scroll-done" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-23/building-new-renewables-cheaper-than-running-fossil-fuel-plants#xj4y7vzkg">new data from BloombergNEF</a> has found that it’s now cheaper to build and operate new large-scale wind or solar plants in nearly half the world than it would be to run an existing coal or gas-fired power plant.
The bill, which has been called the most “ambitious package of energy measures in a decade”, also included the promise of a broad review into the UK electricity market which, amongst other things, aims to explore the ways we could decouple the wholesale electricity market price from fossil fuels.
<h3>Electricity market reform</h3>
The Department for Business, Energy &amp; Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launched the consultation in July as part of its Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA). According to the press release, ‘REMA will focus on establishing a fit-for-purpose market design, identifying and implementing the reforms needed to GB electricity markets that work for businesses, industry, and households’.
Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said: “We’ve just seen the price of offshore UK wind power fall to an all-time low and gas is a shrinking portion of our electricity generating mix, so we need to explore ways of ensuring the electricity market is adapting to the times. That includes ensuring the cost benefits of our increasing supply of cheaper energy trickle down to consumers, but also that our system is fit for the future – especially with electricity demand set to double by 2035.”
Alongside a review of the marginal pricing model, another issue that has been raised is how we can incentivise consumers to use energy at times when renewables are cheap and abundant, instead of at times of high demand when power is more likely to be generated from high-cost, high-carbon sources like gas. It will also consult on the evolution and expansion of existing schemes, such as the Capacity Market and Contracts for Difference (CfD).
If done correctly, we believe that reform of the current structure will be a positive move and will support the UK’s acceleration towards a clean energy system. There is some work to be done on ensuring that initiatives such as the CfD auction work in favour of smaller projects too. We look forward to taking part in the consultation, considering how the reform will support future investment and development of clean energy projects, whilst working in the best interests of consumers during challenging times.
<h3>Keeping up momentum in a changing world</h3>
Although almost 40 per cent of our electricity was provided by renewable sources in 2021 – the second highest year for generation on record – the UK still relies too heavily on fossil fuels. According to the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/digest-of-uk-energy-statistics-dukes-2022">latest Digest of UK Energy Statistics</a> (DUKES), fossil fuel electricity generation increased by 11% last year, due to increased demand and lower renewable generation as a result of adverse weather conditions.
Given the current economic climate, there is a clear need to accelerate the roll-out of renewables in the UK, but this needs to be backed by favourable policies that allow investors and developers to move forward with building new projects quickly. The energy security bill and REMA go some way in increasing industry confidence and highlight an acknowledgement from government that moving to a cleaner energy system is both achievable and a priority. This is of course something we have known and championed for a long time, but we will continue sharing our insight to inform the important conversations unfolding. While we are facing increasingly difficult and uncertain times, one thing is for sure – there is no time to waste when it comes to ending our reliance on dirty fossil fuels. This is why Thrive was founded way back in 1994 and we’ll continue working hard to reduce carbon emissions and tackle the climate crisis.

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DC01

The government recently announced the ‘biggest reform of the UK electricity market in a generation’. With energy prices set to soar further as we move into winter, it’s critical that we accelerate our transition to a renewables-based energy system.

The energy market isn't working – Let the winds of change blow through

In <a href="https://www.positive.news/environment/energy/the-bristol-council-estate-building-englands-largest-wind-turbine/">our latest article with Positive News UK</a>, you can read more about Thrive’s work with Ambition Lawrence Weston – the pioneering community group behind England’s largest wind turbine – and why it should act as a shining light for other communities across the UK who want to follow suit.

Thrive’s Managing Director, Matthew, discusses this landmark project, the power of community energy and why onshore wind should be used to help end the UK’s dependence on dirty fossil fuels.

Positive News UK: The Bristol community building England's largest wind turbine

With support from Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), eligible buildings can now apply for the funding which can be used to cover energy saving measures including insulation, draught proofing, improved heating or lighting controls and LED lighting. Communities will also be able to access free expert advice from CSE on zero-cost solutions.
To apply for the nationwide scheme, which is now in its sixth round, the shared building – such as a church hall or community centre – will need to be located within a 20-mile radius of one of our clean energy projects.
We first started our Community Benefit Programme back in 2016 because we wanted to plug a funding gap between domestic and commercial properties. Since then, we’ve awarded 41 grants to 33 community buildings, totalling over £120,000. These improvements save 68 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
The application process will be administered by CSE, with applicants asked to complete a full energy survey of the shared building using guidance supplied by the charity. This will help to identify potential improvements, including zero-cost measures, and calculate carbon and cost savings for different options.
Applications will remain open until 11th September 2022. You can find out more information and apply here: <a href="https://www.cse.org.uk/projects/view/1304">https://www.cse.org.uk/projects/view/1304</a>

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Round six of our Community Benefit Programme is now open to applications, run in conjunction with national energy charity, Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE).

Thrive offering energy efficiency grants to local community buildings to help with energy bills

It’s the second year in a row that we’ve been recognised, a distinction granted by B Lab to global B Corps whose verified impact scores rank in the top 5% of their size. That means out of 5,000 B Corps, our commitment to the environment puts us in the top 250 around the world!
Protecting the planet has always been a driving force for Thrive. Since 1994, we’ve been working to establish a clean energy system in the UK, helping to reduce dangerous carbon emissions and ultimately tackling climate change. During that time, we’ve funded and built 32 clean energy projects across the UK, generated over 2 million MWh of clean electricity and avoided the emission of 911,828 tonnes of CO2e.

In 2021, our wind, solar and hydro projects produced over 110,000 MWh of renewable electricity, enough to power over 30,000 UK homes or 28% of all UK EV journeys and delivered 49,515 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions reductions. Recognising that there’s always more that we can do to reduce our own carbon footprint, we also committed to reaching net zero by 2030 as part of B Corp’s Climate Collective.
Every year, ‘Best for the World’ recognises the top-performing B Corps creating the greatest positive impact through their business. The full list of B Corps awarded ‘Best for the World’ across the impact pillars of community, customers, environment, governance, and workers are available <a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/best-for-the-world">here</a>.

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English-BFTW-Twitter-Post_Environment (1)

We’ve been recognised in the environment pillar, ranking in the top 5% of all global B Corps.

Thrive awarded B Corp’s ‘Best For the World’ status for second year running

The joint venture will allow us to build new wind, solar and other renewable assets that clean up the UK energy system, reduce carbon emissions and help tackle the climate crisis. It will also support our ambitious growth plans to double our generation capacity over the next five years.

The partnership will also allow TopCashback Sustainability to continue building its impact investment portfolio. This includes the likes of Highlands Rewilding &#8211; a project aimed at re-wilding and re-peopling the Scottish Highlands by increasing biodiversity, green jobs and more &#8211; and funds deposited with Tribe Impact Capital, a wealth manager which helps TopCashback make impact investments.

The £80 million joint venture will fund new renewable projects across the UK including onshore wind and solar.

Thrive joins forces with TopCashback Sustainability to help fund the next phase of the UK energy transition

Below we summarise some of the key energy policies announced following the election and what they could mean for the future of the UK energy system.
<h3>Unlocking onshore wind</h3>
Within days of the election, the Chancellor announced plans for radical planning reform, including fulfilling the promise to lift the de facto ban on new onshore wind farms in England. As one of the cheapest and cleanest ways to produce electricity, it means onshore wind will no longer face unique planning restrictions and instead be treated the same as any other infrastructure projects – something we have been calling for since 2015. In order to scale up onshore wind in line with targets, the government has also announced the creation of an Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce, which will see it work collaboratively with the industry, regulatory and other relevant bodies to help overcome the barrier developers are currently facing.
It’s worth noting that the removal of the ban doesn’t mean new onshore wind farms will be popping up everywhere. New developments will need to undergo the usual planning process and delays with grid connection are still a major challenge. It is, however, a huge stride forward and we see great potential for the repowering of existing sites – replacing turbines that have come to the end of their life with more modern and efficient machines – which could go a long way in meeting the government’s 2030 targets, without increasing the total number of turbines.
<h3>Planning reform</h3>
After announcing plans for radical planning reform that would make building energy infrastructure easier, the government launched a new consultation: &#8216;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-reforms-to-the-national-planning-policy-framework-and-other-changes-to-the-planning-system/proposed-reforms-to-the-national-planning-policy-framework-and-other-changes-to-the-planning-system#scope-of-consultation">Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system&#8217;</a>.
Suggested amendments to the existing National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) include instructing planning officers and local authorities to consider the benefits of renewable projects, as well as an expectation that they will proactively identify potential project sites when developing plans. The aim is that these changes will help establish a much stronger presumption in favour of approving new renewables projects, supporting the UK&#8217;s ambitious net zero goals.
As well as removing the ban on onshore wind, Labour has challenged the previous government&#8217;s decision to add a separate footnote to the NPPF giving more consideration to the availability of agricultural land when making planning decisions on new solar farms.
<h3>Great British Energy </h3>
A key part of Labour’s election manifesto was its plans for Great British Energy (GBE), a publicly owned energy company designed to drive clean energy deployment. GBE will work with and alongside the private sector to develop, own and operate clean energy assets with ambitions to double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind by 2030.
While we wait to see how exactly GBE will interact with the industry, we’re hopeful that this renewed focus on working together – alongside communities – is what is needed to decarbonise our energy system.
<h3>Local power plan</h3>
Recognising that local power generation is an essential part of the energy mix, GBE will also help the government to deliver on its Local Power Plan, enabling local authorities and communities to become owners and stakeholders in local clean energy projects.
In GBE’s Founding Statement, it states that ‘through partnering with and providing funding and support to Local and Combined Authorities and Community Energy Groups, the Local Power Plan will roll out small and medium scale renewable energy projects, using established technologies to develop up to 8G W of cheaper, cleaner power. This will include shared ownership projects in partnership with private developers.’
As big supporters of community energy, it’s positive to see legislation that prioritises local people, ensuring they will ‘benefit directly’ from any increase in generation. Thrive will continue working with community energy groups, helping them build and own projects – giving local people a chance to benefit socially and financially from renewables.
<h3>Rooftop solar revolution</h3>
As part of its ambition to triple solar power by 2030, the Government has outlined plans for a rooftop solar “revolution”, introducing measures that will help more homes to be fitted with solar panels to bring down domestic energy bills and tackle the climate crisis.
We recognise the importance of rooftop solar when it comes to decarbonising the UK’s energy system and have already invested just over £3 million in rooftop solar arrays for businesses across the country. Not only does this help them to lower the carbon intensity of their operations but means they can directly benefit from cheaper clean power generated on site. We see this as a key technology as we continue our diversification strategy, investing in a range of renewable assets that will work together.
<h3>Contracts for Difference</h3>
A significant jump in the budget for the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation round has also been announced, increasing from £1 billion to over £1.5 billion.
CfD auctions incentivise investment in energy generation projects which have a high upfront cost, by guaranteeing stable prices over a long period. It’s positive to see the uplift in funding, with £185 million of the total budget allocated to established technologies such as onshore wind and solar, up from £65 million in round five.
We believe that smaller (sub 5MW), localised clean energy projects are also important, which means developers will need to continue seeking additional routes to market. At Thrive, we also work with other business models, such as corporate power purchase agreements or ‘direct wire’ arrangements where solar and wind projects are installed on site, providing the industrial host with a direct supply of clean electricity.
Building on a series of positive announcements from government, we have and will always prioritise action – doing what’s necessary to get new projects built. We’ll also continue working with industry bodies such as RenewableUK to help inform and steer policy so that it ensures people are at the heart of a cleaner, fairer energy system in the UK.

We summarise some of the key energy policies announced following the election and what they could mean for the future of the UK energy system.

Winds of change: What does the Labour government mean for energy?

It is powered by fluid heated by geothermal brine several miles below the Earth’s surface. This rotates the turbine which is connected to a generator that converts kinetic energy into electricity.
Site operator – Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) – predicts United Downs will deliver 2MWe of baseload electricity once operational, plus additional zero carbon heat for local housing, hospitals and schools. The site also has the potential to fulfil a significant portion of the UK’s lithium demand. Tests at United Downs have shown that geothermal fluid within the wells has one of the highest concentrations of lithium in Europe at 340 parts per million (ppm). This sustainably produced lithium could be used to support the growing EV industry as we transition to net zero.
GEL run monthly family open days to give local people the opportunity to learn about the project and see its progress. The next one is taking place on 20 August and tickets can be booked through <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/united-downs-deep-geothermal-power-project-family-open-day-tickets-880822552967#search">Eventbrite</a>.

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