Senior Climate Action Officer, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils
Oxfordshire’s Local Area Energy Plans are moving into an exciting new phase, shaped by close collaboration across councils, communities and partners. In this post, hear from one of our district councils about what the process has been like on the ground and what we’re learning along the way.
March 31, 2026
The plans are being developed with input from a wide range of stakeholders, right from the outset – from community groups and local businesses to infrastructure providers, universities and public sector partners. The level of enthusiasm and insight that everyone has brought to the process so far has shaped the plans in meaningful ways, strengthening the plans and ensuring they reflect the places and people they are intended to serve.
As a district council officer, it has been encouraging and at times, cathartic, to work together with colleagues from the other Oxfordshire councils and deliver these plans as one team. It has allowed us to learn from each other and share resources so that we can collectively deliver plans of as high a quality as possible.
The range of people and organisations involved so far is already making a real difference. Stakeholders across Oxfordshire have generously given their time, expertise and local knowledge through workshops, discussions and feedback sessions, which has enabled a much more accurate reflection of reality and ambition than the local authorities could have achieved on our own
Where we are now
In autumn last year, we completed Phase 1. This phase brought together data to give a clear picture of Oxfordshire’s energy system today – where energy comes from and how it is used – creating a shared starting point for the whole county. Using this as a baseline, we then explored what the energy system may need to look like in the future, and how it could change over time to reach net zero while still supporting homes, jobs and growth, keeping energy reliable, and making sure the transition is fair.
The below image is a Sankey diagram showing as a snapshot, the baseline energy consumption in Oxfordshire.
We are now coming towards the end of Phase 2, where each district council is developing its own Local Area Energy Plan, informed by the modelling carried out in Phase 1. While every district plan is tailored to local circumstances, they are all being developed using a common approach and shared framework so that they work together across the county.
During this phase, the focus has been on identifying actions and projects for each district. This involves working closely with local teams and stakeholders to agree realistic priorities that reflect local needs. As part of this work, the plans are also considering the scale and type of investment that different actions may require, helping to ensure they are credible and grounded in what could be delivered in practice.
The Local Area Energy Plans that will be published at the end of this phase, provide the evidence base for understanding what the energy transition could involve in different parts of Oxfordshire and how the system needs to change. Decisions about how this evidence is taken forward and organised for delivery will be considered in the next phase of the programme.
The work we have been doing has highlighted some important lessons about place, scale and local context.
What we’re learning
One of the most important lessons emerging from this work is just how different each part of Oxfordshire is.
Urban areas face different opportunities and constraints compared to rural communities. For example, many rural areas are not connected to the gas network and rely on heating oil, which creates different challenges when it comes to upgrading homes and reducing emissions. In contrast, towns and cities tend to have less space for renewable energy generation but often offer greater opportunities for shared solutions which can reduce energy use overall. Housing types, transport patterns, electricity grid capacity, land use and local industries all influence what the most effective energy solutions might look like. Because of this, a one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t work, demonstrating why each council area needs its own tailored plan.
This is why the district perspective is so important. Local knowledge helps ensure that the plans are realistic and deliverable, while the countywide framework ensures everything fits together as part of a coherent Oxfordshire-wide solution.
Insight from partners and communities has helped us connect the modelling to local realities which is why the workshops, focus groups and one-to-one sessions have been crucial for this part of the programme. For example, conversations with housing providers, council teams and community groups have helped test assumptions about what is practical, affordable, and acceptable locally, ensuring the plans reflect what is likely to work on the ground as well as what is technical possible.
What happens next
As this phase of the programme draws to a close, the focus is on completing the Local Area Energy Plans and setting out what they show.
Each district plan will set out clear, practical and place-based actions and projects helping councils and partners understand the options available and the choices ahead. Alongside the district plans, a countywide summary will bring everything together, showing how local priorities connect into a coordinated Oxfordshire-wide pathway towards a cleaner, more resilient energy system.
LAEPs are intended to be practical tools. They will support local decision-making into the future, helping guide conversations around housing development, transport infrastructure, energy investment, land use and community energy projects.
This phase of the programme is about ensuring that the evidence is clear, credible and usable. By setting out what the transition could involve in different places, the LAEPs help councils understand the scale and nature of change that may be required. Decisions about how councils organise themselves to deliver these changes sit within the next phase of the programme which we are beginning to commence working on.
Staying involved
While a lot of work has already taken place, this is just the beginning.
We’re grateful for the enthusiasm and insight shared so far, and there will be more opportunities for people and organisations across Oxfordshire to stay involved as the plans evolve.