A village-run project, for the village
Our Vision
Our vision is for our village to be fueled and powered entirely by sustainable, secure, zero-carbon energy. Ensuring affordability and fairness for all.
Who we are
Broughton Community Energy is a small volunteer group with big ambitions. Our focus is on developing low-cost, low-carbon energy solutions for our village — sustainable, secure and fair for everyone here.
Why have we done this?
We're a rural community, mostly off the gas grid, where oil heating and daily car journeys are simply how life works here. But if we can generate our own low-cost electricity, and help each other along the way, the transition to cleaner heating and transport gets a lot easier — and a lot more affordable.
What are our objectives?
Environmental
- Reduce CO2 emissions from our village
- Enable the cost-effective replacement of fossil fuel heating
- Support the transition to electric vehicles
- Contribute to regional and national sustainability goals
Economic
- Reduce our energy costs
- Reduce energy poverty in our community
- Increase our energy security and resilience
Community
- Provide a blueprint that inspires other communities to act
- Elevate community cohesion
What have we achieved so far?
Mar 2024
Conversation between two neighbours over a garden hedge.
May 2024
Parish Council supports the formation of BCE at their AGM.
Jul 2024
BCE Steering Group established.
Sep 2024
BCE's Vision & Objectives agreed.
Sep 2024
Confirmation of £40k grant from the Community Energy Fund (CEF).
Oct 2024
Prospus Group selected to support us.
Nov 2024
Future Energy Landscapes Workshop.
May 2025
Broughton Community Energy incorporated as a Community Benefit Society.
Jul 2025
SSEN's feasibility study confirms sufficient capacity to accept our generation from wind + solar PV at the local substation.
Oct 2025
Grant Funding Agreement signed, and Feasibility Stage formally starts.
Dec 2025
Solar PV + Wind electricity generation proposal shared at village meeting.
Jan 2026
Community survey demonstrates overwhelming support for the proposal.
Feb 2026
Decision taken to remove the wind turbine from the proposal.
7 Sep 2026
Land Lease Heads of Terms signed for a Solar PV + Battery Storage facility on a new site.
18 Sep 2026
Revised Solar PV + Storage proposal shared with the village.
On narrower screens this becomes a simple stacked list, in date order — the banded layout above needs a wide screen to make visual sense.