BWCE is a non-profit community benefit society, owned and run by our members for the benefit of the community.

Our vision is for a local area able to supply decreasing local energy demand with increasing generation from renewable energy, driven by collective action and community ownership.

Our focus has been on developing clean local energy, community-owned for the common good.

Bath & West Community Energy is a Community Benefit Society.

• We are primarily for the benefit of the community at large, rather than just for our members. For more details see our Community Benefit page.

• Membership is secured through a minimum shareholding of £100

• We have democratic decision-making built into our structure, one member one vote.

• Members can stand for election to our board, see here for information on current board members

• We can pay interest on members’ share capital but we cannot distribute surpluses to members in the form of dividends.

• We have an asset lock that protects the founding principles and ethos of the business.