Building the new decentralised energy economy
Rowan Energy are partnering with a UK campaigning organisation called Power For People and together we will drive forward energy policies into a decentralised future.
Power For People are a not-for-profit organisation campaigning for 100% clean energy that benefits local communities. They are funded by registered UK trusts and run political campaigns as well as political lobbying activities. The director Steve Shaw previously campaigned for the Climate Change Act which made it into UK law. He has appeared in national news such as the BBC advocating for community energy.
Power For People drafted the original Local Energy Bill which is a paradigm shift bill allowing decentralised electricity generators to become local independent suppliers. Power For People have recognised the immense benefits of a national scale decentralised grid for the UK where anyone can become their own power plant. Power For People have drafted two bills already but they strongly lacked the right infrastructure and technology to support the goals all the way through. They now wish to draft the third and final Local Energy Bill №3 with Rowan Energy as the key technology providers. Our blockchain technology and hardware network will act as the technical foundations for this energy paradigm once made into law. The think-tank recognised that the Rowan Energy network will be able to facilitate decentralised energy trades which is vital for this bill. We are the missing piece in the puzzle for the birth of a thriving local energy economy.
Currently you cannot buy your electricity from local decentralised renewable sources. This is because the costs of becoming a supplier are huge regardless of the size of the generation unit (~£1 million). Because local projects cannot sell their clean energy to local people, they have to sell it to big energy companies for a fraction of the price. With Power For People lobbying political support, Rowan Energy technology will change that and will be fundamental to this new legislation. Our blockchain will serve as the transactional layer for the first ever decentralised grid layer, leading to large scale adoption of the Rowan Blockchain.
The below passage was the leading recommendation for community energy in the January 2023 government-commissioned Net Zero Review, authored by Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP. It affirms that, “Community energy projects not only contribute to net zero but are a distilled example of energy security and sovereignty” and recommends that, “Government should commit to the Local Electricity Bill that would enable community energy projects to provide energy directly to local households and businesses.” This bill will lead to government endorsement of a decentralised energy network — a huge step forward for web3 innovation.
With a cross-party support of an impressive 326 MPs, it already shows the political muscle backing this bill and the amazing work Power For People have done so far. Where in the past companies have been at the mercy of regulation, we want to be better and contribute directly to it — whilst strongly lobbying for a decentralised future.
What are the benefits of the Local Energy Bill?
When made law, the Bill would ensure small-scale renewable energy sites have a guaranteed and fair income, enabling them to raise funds to expand existing projects and establish new ones. The Bill would also enable community energy sites to set up financially viable local supply businesses that could offer local people more affordable, clean electricity, with the profits from their energy bills being used for community benefit.
This would have a transformative impact for local communities, including:
- Reduced energy bills and fuel poverty relief through the provision of cheaper electricity and new energy efficiency initiatives
- Thousands of new jobs associated with the construction and maintenance of the schemes
- New funds generated for local initiatives
- Boosted local economic activity
- Greater energy security through reducing dependence on imported energy and increasing the resilience of our domestic supply
- Enhanced community cohesion with local people understanding, owning and controlling their energy assets, including where the economic benefits are targeted
At Rowan Energy we aren’t waiting for change, we’re making that change happen. The future of energy is decentralised, fair and sustainable. Let’s build it.
