Power Shift

UK100, Quantum
May 2021
Our Power Shift report is the most comprehensive examination of the powers local authorities have and need to deliver on climate ever undertaken. It draws on previous expert reports, including those produced for government, combined with a series of interviews with local authorities and other stakeholder organisations.
In UK100's Spending Review 2025 submission, we outline key priorities for accelerating local climate action as a network of councils committed to net zero. We call for targeted investment in local energy planning, community energy projects, senior planners, and council retrofit delivery capacity. The submission emphasises moving from short-term competitive funding to strategic, multi-year investment approaches.
In UK100's response to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee's inquiry on workforce planning for clean energy, we outlined three key priorities: establishing a coordinated national skills strategy through Skills England, empowering local authorities to drive green skills development with proper funding and support, and increasing investment in training and education. As a network of 116 local authorities committed to rapid net zero transition, we emphasised the need for standardised training programmes and clear career pathways.
In our response to ofgem's consultation on the Regional Energy Strategic Plan (RESP) policy framework, we highlighted our support for RESP's bottom-up approach but emphasised the need for standardised local energy planning, better data consistency, increased local authority capacity, clear accountability frameworks, and effective stakeholder engagement to deliver regional energy strategies.