Ireland's first Community Energy Charter launched in Tullamore
The official launch of the country's first ever Community Energy Charter took place recently at the Esker Arts Centre in Tullamore. The Charter is an Offaly Public Participation Network initiative.
Offaly PPN is the independent and collective voice of over 700 community and voluntary groups and organisations in Offaly and the PPN’s main function is to represent the voice of the community at local decision making levels.
As wind and solar developments continue across Offaly’s Peatlands, the PPN membership identified that a series of collectively agreed guidelines would enable them to meet energy developments from a position of strength and informed opinion. The resulting Community Energy Charter is a perfect example of the potential in the PPN representative mechanism, outlining the community position across a spectrum of themes arising from the energy transition in Offaly.
Awarded LEADER funding for the Energy Charter project, Offaly PPN and Green Offaly have worked in partnership with the PPN membership to develop the Charter. A series of three full day facilitated workshops took place at Charleville Castle and two detailed surveys went out to the wider community for feedback. Themes explored in the Energy Charter workshops included energy communities, community ownership, land use, developer engagement, Bord na Móna, energy democracy and the adequate share of Community Gains funds.
It is noted by experts in the field that energy developers haven’t agreed as an industry what community engagement needs beyond the tick box. This Charter serves to address that deficit by informing developers about what communities in Offaly expect and what is ‘Just’ to those who live in proximity to large energy developments.
The Charter also outlines what a fair win-win community-development partnership looks like and produces a set of collectivity agreed guidelines. It will be reviewed and updated as necessary every two years to keep pace with the shifting energy marketplace and EU, national, regional and local policies.
It's hoped that the Offaly Community Energy Charter will set a precedent for communities across Ireland. The survey revealed that there is collective support for renewables, for energy transformations and for new forms of energy participation which can lead to true energy democracy.
At present, governments and policy makers believe that only large-scale private energy developments are capable of addressing the climate crisis. The profits generated from these developments and the ongoing energy crisis has led to deep mistrust and communities feeling left behind. As a result, developments are not acquiring the ‘social legitimacy’ which is needed to deliver a truly Just Transition. Citizen engagement is seen as a crucial component in achieving renewable energy targets and yet as developments grow in size and scale they will be increasingly contested at the local level, causing significant delays to the energy transition.
Ongoing crises are facilitating a deeper process whereby communities who feel that their voice is no longer heard or given legitimacy, are coming together to seriously think about what it is that they want and need from the many transitions occurring. The creation of this Charter is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved by embracing a new way of working together, by harnessing the power of the collective voice and signals the beginning of an exciting journey for present and future communities.
The Charter was officially launched by special guest Irish biologist and environmental consultant Eanna Ni Lamhna. A creative interpretation from artists on the theme 'Energy' will be projected throughout the Charter. This is a collaborative piece of work including Offaly PPN members, Green Offaly, Offaly Co.Co. Climate Action Team, OLDC and Offaly Local Community Development Committee.
Special thanks was given to all who participated in the workshops and completed the surveys along with Charleville Castle for providing the venue for the workshops. The information garnered from both the workshops and surveys helped bring the Charter to fruition.
For more information email ppn@offalycoco.ie.