Our 10-year strategic plan
We recently published our Strategic Plan that outlines our vision and mission in the next ten years for transitioning Oxfordshire to a zero-carbon energy system in a way that is beneficial for both people and the planet.
In our plan, we emphasise the UK’s shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, recognising the urgency of decarbonising the electricity grid by 2035 and heat and transport by 2050. We know this is no mean feat, but we believe that Oxfordshire has the drive, experience and resources to make it a reality.
Here’s a brief overview of what we cover in the plan.
The 2050 Vision
We envision Oxfordshire meeting its energy needs through clean, renewable sources, eliminating fuel poverty, and promoting healthy and resilient businesses. We see community energy schemes and collaboration with local authorities and network operators as key to achieving this vision.
Our 25-year Mission
The plan highlights the Low Carbon Hub’s commitment to demonstrating the feasibility of a “high welfare, low-energy society” by:
- Growing our renewable energy asset portfolio to generate more profit for community benefit.
- Ensuring these profits are used to eradicate fuel poverty through Whole House Plans and funding necessary retrofits for fuel-poor households.
- Supporting and encouraging local SMEs to undertake energy assessments and providing funding where needed.
- Promoting smart retrofitting for energy efficiency and grid management.
- Collaborating with stakeholders to ensure resource availability for a successful transition.
The Business Model
We’ve outlined the Low Carbon Hub’s focus on generating profits from “easy” actions like renewable energy installation and operation and channelling these profits into more challenging areas like demand reduction, peak management, and supporting fuel-poor households and SMEs to reduce their energy use.
Pillars for Delivery
Through the plan, we share our key pillars for achieving our goals. These are:
Renewable Energy Portfolio Development: Expanding the existing Low Carbon Hub portfolio of renewable energy assets in order to increase profits that fund community benefit initiatives and further energy efficiency projects.
Building Scale Demand Reduction through Smart Retrofitting: Working with partners to provide high-quality smart retrofitting solutions in Oxfordshire to improve energy efficiency, particularly for SMEs and low-income households.
Grid Edge Coordination: Expanding on our successful community-based approach to planning and delivery from Project LEO, with a focus on developing Local Energy Action Plans across Oxfordshire.
The national picture
Low Carbon Hub is eagerly awaiting more news about the government’s plans for its Local Power Plan as we believe it could be a game changer for community energy. It will put funding into new community energy projects and support local authorities to develop projects in low-income communities.
Our partners
Working in partnership will be essential for the successful delivery of our strategy. We will continue to work with key organisations across Oxfordshire to maximise our impact and ensure a transition to zero-carbon energy system locally.
We will continue to build our network of low-carbon community groups, to work closely with our local authorities, in particular to develop approaches to tackle fuel poverty, our local network operators such as SSEN, our universities and local businesses.
A Plan for a Better Future
We’re excited to share the Low Carbon Hub Strategic Plan with you. We believe that it provides a roadmap for achieving a just and sustainable energy transition in Oxfordshire that provides benefits for people and the planet.
In essence, we see it as a simple outline that emphasises our collaborative approach, leveraging community involvement, innovative solutions, and strategic partnerships to achieve its ambitious goals. We look forward to making it a reality in the coming decade!