We might be a quarter of the way through the 21st century, but our energy system in still stuck in the past, with distribution of power still reliant on the National Grid and few options for people to take control of their energy needs on a local level. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, we speak to three guests who are looking to disrupt the status quo and empower people to collectively generate and use electricity within communities. We speak to artist and filmmaker Hilary Powell about her project Power Station, which saw many of the houses on her road in East London installing solar panels on their rooftops. We speak to Kayla Ente, MBE, about the work of BHESCo, which is helping communities across Brighton & Hove and beyond to decarbonise, and we meet Gareth Davies, whose organisation Aquatera led the ReFLEX Orkney project; a pioneering initiative connecting the dots between local energy generation and use on the Orkney Islands.

Listen now to hear:

• What inspired Hilary and her partner Dan to create Power Station.
• What the current legislation is and why it is still challenging to break free from the grid.
• What BHESCo is doing to help more people have access to renewable energy generation at no upfront cost.
• How the original ambition of the ReFLEX Orkney programme has faces challenges with outdated policy and systems.
• What communities can do to maximise the benefits of local power generation.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/use-decentralised-energy

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Show notes

• Find out more about using decentralised energy: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/use-decentralised-energy
• Discover all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Send us your feedback and comments: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Read about BHESCo on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/brighton-and-hove-energy-services-co-op
• Read about ReFLEX Orkney on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/reflex-orkney
• Learn more about Power Station and where you can see the film: https://power.film/
• Read Community Energy England’s State of the Sector 2025 report: https://communityenergyengland.org/news/2025-state-of-the-sector-report-community-energy-surges-ahead-24-5m-reinvested-locally-movement-poised-to-scale-and-shape-whats-next/

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