Alston Moor Community Energy (AMCE) will develop low-carbon energy systems in the civil parish of Alston Moor and its surrounding parishes, including the town of Alston, the villages of Nenthead and Garrigill and several other small hamlets.
AMCE is a Community Benefit Society with the aim of enabling the generation of renewable electricity to give the local community greater control over the energy system, to reduce fuel bills for local residents and promote an increase in low carbon and renewable energy generation.
Through the sale and issue of shares, the society will be owned and controlled by its members. The Society aims to give as many local people as possible the opportunity to become shareholders to maximise community ownership and involvement.
The society will generate income through the sale of electricity to the national grid; feed in tariffs and other subsidies. Any surplus income will benefit the local community distributed to local community groups through a charitable trust.
In future, the society will investigate other opportunities for low-carbon energy projects in the area.