Response to inquiry by the Committee for Energy Security and Net Zero on Unlocking community energy at scale

Delivering the UK’s clean energy mission requires decarbonising the logistics sector, as it is currently a significant user of fossil fuels. For example, domestic transport is the largest emitting sector in the UK (28% in 2022), and a significant proportion of that comes from logistics transport. Decarbonising logistics requires, amongst other investments, significantly increased access to energy at sites that do not currently use a large amount of energy but, in the future, will do. For example, inland logistics hubs and ports, which will likely be the location for a great deal of electric HGV charging. Alongside strengthening grid connections, local power generation could play a role in providing sufficient energy at such sites. However, given logistics is a vital UK industry that underpins all other sectors, public services and households, conventional grid upgrades should be preferred option as they are proven and reliable. The Local Power Plan, to be delivered by Great British Energy and local authorities, could be important for logistics decarbonisation. However, this will require local authorities to consider their role supporting industries of national importance in their areas, such as logistics, and not only industries that serve the local area. Providing communities with a stake as owners and/or stakeholders in locally generated energy should support this, encouraging them to regard logistics hubs as key potential customers.