On 27 June, a diverse group of community members, renewable energy practitioners, academics, and policy-makers gathered at the University of Aberdeen for "Community Renewables in the North East of Scotland: Looking Back, Moving Forward", a timely event focused on advancing community-led energy initiatives in the region. The event explored how communities can play a central role in Scotland's energy transition.
Organised by the University’s Just Transition Lab and Centre for Energy Law, the event was the outcome of the collaboration under the Just Transition Communities Project (JTCP). The JTCP, commissioned by the Scottish Government, is designed to support a fair and inclusive transition in the North East of Scotland. Led by the North East Scotland Climate Action Network Hub (NESCAN Hub), the project brings together with partners including the Just Transition Lab.
The event opened with a session on community energy and the just transition, featuring insights from Fraser Stewart of Regen, alongside Daria Shapovalova and Tayo Gbemi from the Just Transition Lab. Their contributions addressed the role of community energy in achieving a Just Transition in the UK, and in the North East of Scotland specifically.
This was followed by a panel offering institutional perspectives, with Rachel Yule from Local Energy Scotland sharing the latest developments. Emma Murphy from Aberdeen City Council and Christine Webster from Aberdeenshire Council participated in the panel sharing the local authorities’ experiences and strategies for supporting community energy.
After a networking lunch, the final session brought together practitioners from the region’s most notable community energy projects. Speakers from Donside Hydro and Udny Wind shared practical lessons, challenges, and successes from their work, offering valuable insights into what it takes to build and sustain community-led renewable initiatives.
Throughout the day, participants discussed the growing momentum behind community energy, fueled by recent funding announcements from the Scottish Government and Great British Energy. However, the event also highlighted the persistent barriers, particularly in urban areas, such as lack of appropriate funding, limited capacity, and institutional challenges.
The event concluded with a shared commitment to strengthening collaboration, building local capacity, and ensuring that the benefits of the energy transition are equitably distributed across all communities in the North East.