Ridge Clean Energy (RCE) is extending its cost-of-living and fuel poverty support from the recently consented Six Oaks Renewable Energy Park in East Cambridgeshire to communities in East Riding of Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
RCE is committing a total of £37,500 of immediate funding across the three sites to help local residents address the challenges of rising living costs and fuel poverty over the winter period.
This funding is provided as a community benefit, prior to the projects becoming operational.
To help deliver this funding to local people in need, RCE is collaborating with local charities such as Ely Foodbank in Cambridgeshire, the East Riding Food Poverty Alliance (ERFPA) in Yorkshire and Clifton Foodbank in Nottinghamshire.
These local organisations will help identify individuals in need, ensuring the community benefit fund distribution is grounded in local, trusted relationships.
RCE’s chief executive, Marjorie Glasgow, said: “The UK renewable industry has vital work ahead of us in decarbonising electricity and developing partnerships with local communities built on trust.
“We are grateful to be working closely with local charities and organisations as we help to address the issues of the cost of living and fuel poverty for residents nearby our consented sites.
“Addressing these dual challenges is only possible through ongoing commitment to local communities, which is an integral part of our ethos.”
The East Riding Food Poverty Alliance (ERFPA) food bank development officer, Jodie Colgrave, added: “This winter the ERFPA has already seen an increase in people accessing its member organisations for support with food and fuel, due to the rising cost of living.
“The generous donation from RCE will support residents in Burton Agnes, Haisthorpe, Thornholme and Carnaby who may be facing fuel poverty by supplying them with energy vouchers through ERFPA.
“Thank you, RCE, for supporting East Riding residents to stay warm this winter.”
The current RCE pipeline of projects (14 in total) would amount to a £1.2bn investment into the UK renewables sector, once they are all built.
Community payments across the 14 projects would equate to over £2.3m per year, the developer said.