Community benefits for electricity transmission network infrastructure

Closed 15 Jun 2023

Opened 30 Mar 2023

Overview

Stakeholders have requested more time to respond to this consultation, so we have extended the deadline from 25 May to 15 June.

We’re consulting on a recommended approach to community benefits for electricity transmission network infrastructure. 

The consultation is proposing to create voluntary guidance for industry and communities when developing individual community benefit packages. This guidance will cover how to deliver direct benefits payments to eligible individuals and wider community benefits. We also recommend establishing a recommended level of funding for community benefits in agreement with Ofgem.

In this consultation we are seeking to gain the perspectives and views of different stakeholders to establish an approach that is both fair and effective. This includes stakeholders who could be involved in:

  • developing and delivering communities benefits
  • communities who could receive community benefits

Read the consultation document on GOV.UK.

We want to ensure that the proposals are developed with the input of all interested stakeholders. We therefore have a number of ways in which stakeholders can be involved.

We encourage you to respond to the consultation. We will also be hosting webinars throughout the consultation period to provide an overview of the consultation, to answer any questions and to gain your initial thoughts and feedback. The link to sign up to the webinars can be found below.

Alongside the consultation, through consultants CEPA and Locality, we will be delivering engagement events over the next few months for industry and community stakeholders to help develop the guidance. We are also planning to seek the views of communities surrounding a number of proposed future network infrastructure projects, using surveys, workshops and interviews to understand views on community benefits. Potential participants will be contacted by a third-party research company that is delivering this on behalf of the department.

If you would like to speak with the team directly, would like to be involved in the engagement events, or if you have any questions please email cbnetworks@beis.gov.uk.

What happens next

We will now review the consutlation feedback and publish a response. 

Alongside the consultation, through consultants CEPA and Locality, we will be delivering engagement events over the next few months for industry and community stakeholders to help develop the guidance.

We are also planning to seek the views of communities surrounding a number of proposed future network infrastructure projects, using surveys, workshops and interviews to understand views on community benefits. Potential participants will be contacted by a third-party research company that is delivering this on behalf of the department.

If you would like to speak with the team directly, would like to be involved in the engagement events, or if you have any questions please email cbnetworks@beis.gov.uk.

Audiences

  • Trade bodies
  • Wind
  • Low carbon technologies
  • General public

Interests

  • Apprenticeships
  • Economic growth
  • Security and resilience
  • Energy and climate change