Nearly £5.5 million in funding has been awarded to 46 community energy projects across Scotland, supporting local efforts to install solar panels, wind turbines, and other renewable technologies to meet community needs.
The funding comes through the Community Energy Generation Growth Fund, part of the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme, and is backed by both the Scottish Government and Great British Energy.
Announcing the 2025 allocations during Scotland’s Climate Week, Energy Secretary Gillian Martin visited the Edinburgh Solar Co-op site in southwest Edinburgh, where the community-run group received £480,000 to expand solar installations on schools, leisure centres, and community buildings—providing free electricity and returns for local investors.
Among the funded projects are:
- Arran Community Renewables – developing the Glenkiln Solar Farm
- Eigg Electric – advancing the island’s goal to fully decarbonise by 2030
- Huntly Development Trust – generating up to 20MW of wind, solar and green hydrogen
Gillian Martin, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, said:
“Scotland is fast becoming a global renewable energy powerhouse, and it is vital that communities share in the benefits from this transition.
“This funding, for stand-alone generation projects, responds to the needs of local groups and has the potential to lever in significant funds for communities by providing the ability to earn money from their projects by, for example, selling the excess energy generated back to the grid. It will also play a key role delivering a just transition to net zero, whilst supporting a greener, fairer future for Scots.
“To further ensure communities see the benefits of the renewable energy transition, we know more can be done. That is why we are calling on the UK Government to go further by mandating offers of shared ownership and to introduce a mandatory community benefits scheme for mature onshore technologies.
“We will continue to work with our partners to grow the community energy sector and, crucially, ensure that the delivery of renewable energy comes with benefits for people in Scotland, as well as supporting progress towards net zero.”
These initiatives reflect Scotland’s commitment to community-led climate action, helping reduce carbon emissions while delivering economic and social benefits locally.
Since its launch last year, the Fund has supported 69 funding offers across 57 different community energy projects, empowering communities to take control of their energy future.
Image credit: iStock
