Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 29 April 2021 to Question 185847 on increasing support for community energy, whether the Government has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis to inform the Net Zero Strategy of the potential merits of increasing support to community energy groups in (a) urban and (b) rural areas to (i) develop renewable energy projects, (ii) provide economic and social benefits and (iii) act as catalysts for raising awareness and promoting behaviour change.

We continue to monitor the cost effectiveness of local and community energy solutions in the context of developing policy options for the Net Zero Strategy. The Government will be considering a wide range of proposals to support climate change action at the local and community level in that Strategy.