Electric Places to join North Northants’ first Community Energy Conference

North Northamptonshire will host its first Community Energy Conference on Friday 18 September at The Corby Cube, bringing together council officers, community groups, businesses and residents to discuss how the region can turn its energy ambitions into real projects.

The event comes at a pivotal moment. North Northamptonshire’s Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) sets out a route to lower bills, reduced fuel poverty and wider community participation in the energy transition — but plans like this can risk sitting unused. At the same time, GB Energy’s Local Partnerships Fund is set to open, offering financial support for councils and community groups to develop community-owned solar on council-owned buildings.

The conference is designed to help the region act upon these opportunities

On the day:

Running from 11am to 3pm, the conference will combine speaker sessions with practical, hands-on workshops rather than a purely presentational format.

Confirmed speakers include:

– Fraser Stewart, Head of Local Energy Strategy, GB Energy
– Matt Vickers, CEO, Community Energy England
– Ollie Pendered, Executive Chair, Community Energy Pathways

Nick Bolton from Electric Places will also be supporting and speaking, drawing upon lessons from delivering community-led, place-based energy projects and bringing insight on where the real barriers to delivery tend to lie.

Why this matters:

Community-owned solar on council and public buildings offers a way to reduce energy bills, strengthen local energy security, and keep more economic value within the region. With council assets — including schools, leisure centres and warehousing — offering significant untapped rooftop capacity, North Northamptonshire is well placed to lead on this.

How to attend:

The conference is free to attend, with places limited to 60.
Register by 31 August via Eventbrite to secure your place.