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.

Beyond the megawatts – people-powered energy is on the rise

Case Study by Triodos Bank

20 February 2026

Earlier this month, the government published its much-anticipated Local Power Plan, committing £1 billion of investment into local and community energy – the biggest public investment in the sector in UK history. The plan outlined a “bottom-up” vision of a people-powered energy system – power that is owned and controlled by communities themselves, where the benefits stay local. It’s energy by the people, for the people.

Thrive Renewables was established 30years ago to nurture and develop a bottom-up, peopled-powered approach to the energy transition, bringing together individuals, organisations and communities to fund new clean energy projects. From the very start of its journey, Thrive has championed locally owned energy – offering community shared ownership at its first wind farm in the early 90s. Since then, it has funded 45 clean energy projects, including wind, solar and hydro, and invested £21 million into community energy projects – including England’s largest onshore wind turbine owned by a community group in Lawrence Weston, Bristol.

Last year Thrive joined forces with social investor, Better Society Capital, to form a £40 million joint venture (Community Energy Catalyst (CEC)) to provide funding for more communities to own local energy projects. When people have the opportunity to build and operate clean energy projects on their own doorstep, benefits and control are kept local and they become agents of change in the energy transition. CEC will help support the ambitions of the government’s Local Power Plan by proving the value of community ownership in practice, to both developers and local communities.

Thrive Renewables wind turbine project — Image credit: Thrive Renewables/Chris Watt Photography

Recently, CEC made its first investment to help fund the construction of Kilbirnie community-owned wind turbine. The 2.5MW turbine will be capable of generating over 7,000 MWh of clean electricity per year, the equivalent of powering over 2,000 average Scottish homes. Profits from electricity sales will be reinvested into important local causes, helping to drive regeneration in the area.

“Community energy schemes play an integral role in empowering local people in the energy transition, but at the moment only 0.5% of the UK’s electricity is generated from such projects. We hope to help significantly increase that figure, enabling more community projects – just like Kilbirnie wind turbine – to come to life in communities across the UK.” Monika Paplaczyk, Chief Investment Officer, Thrive Renewables

Thrive is also committed to offering communities the opportunity to take a stake in every new project it acquires. It is currently exploring shared ownership opportunities at Dunmow solar farm in Essex which became operational last year and Abergorki wind farm which is being developed in South Wales.

For mission-driven businesses like Thrive, the energy transition is more than just wires and turbines. It’s something people can do together as a community, to improve and enhance their neighbourhood.