Beneath the Surface: Devon’s Clean Energy Mesh and the Ripple Effect Powering Communities
Floating offshore wind may capture the headlines, but in Devon, the real story lies beneath the surface.
Across the county’s ports, heat networks, research labs, and communities, a web of clean-energy innovation is taking shape - one that’s turning megawatts into meaningful local impact. From warm homes and skilled jobs to new marine technologies and thriving SMEs, Devon’s recently launched clean energy prospectus shows how the green transition’s greatest wins are as much human as they are technical.
A County Wired for Change
Devon has long been known for its coastline and shipyards, but today, it’s emerging as one of the UK’s most complete clean-energy ecosystems.
It has the resources: offshore wind, solar, geothermal, and hydrogen. It has the infrastructure: strategic ports like Plymouth, Appledore, and Ilfracombe, ready to support floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. And it has the expertise: universities, community energy cooperatives, and a growing network of clean-tech firms working together to deliver energy transition at scale.
Where other regions are building single projects, Devon is building connections. Those connections are where the magic happens.
Power to the People: Floating Offshore Wind and Local Industry
The Celtic Sea’s floating offshore wind (FLOW) programme could deliver 4.5 GW by 2035 and as much as 12 GW by 2040 — a multi-billion-pound opportunity for the South West.
This is a clear opportunity for Devon’s industrial renewal. Shipyards like Appledore are returning to prominence, preparing to build and service new classes of vessels for offshore construction. Port clusters around Plymouth and North Devon are positioning themselves as assembly and maintenance hubs, supported by autonomous marine firms based at Turnchapel Wharf and Oceansgate Enterprise Zone.
The ripple effects reach far inland: welders, engineers, surveyors, environmental consultants, and software developers all stand to benefit. By 2040, the sector could contribute £2 billion in value and support nearly 23,000 full-time-equivalent years of employment in Devon alone. It’s a powerful example of how climate policy, when connected to local skills and supply chains, can regenerate places as well as the planet.
Hydrogen Horizons and Smart Skies
Devon’s clean-energy ambition extends above and below the waves. The county’s hydrogen clusters in Exeter and Plymouth are pioneering the use of green hydrogen for marine propulsion, agricultural machinery, and heavy road transport.
At Exeter Airport, the Future Flight Innovation Zone is exploring hydrogen and battery supply chains for aviation. Meanwhile, Devon’s maritime heritage is giving way to a clean maritime economy, with new shipbuilding at Appledore and a Clean Maritime Innovation Centre opening in 2026.
These projects are united by one principle: systems thinking.
When offshore wind, interconnectors, and green hydrogen production are co-located, one project’s surplus becomes another’s resource. Devon is proving that a regional clean-energy strategy can operate like an ecosystem: interdependent, adaptive, and self-sustaining.
Brains and Boats: The Knowledge Beneath the Waves
Behind every megawatt generated in Devon is a network of minds ensuring it’s done smarter and cleaner.
The Universities of Exeter and Plymouth lead research in marine engineering, climate science, and renewable energy systems. Their graduates feed directly into industry through collaborations with the Smart Sound Plymouth test range, where autonomous and uncrewed vessels are trialled for use in offshore energy inspection, ocean monitoring, and clean maritime operations.
The new Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre, backed by government investment, will cement Devon’s status as a national hub for clean propulsion and smart vessel technology. These advances don’t just help Devon, they strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in clean maritime systems.
Community Energy: Powering People, Not Just Projects
Devon’s transition isn’t top-down. Some of the county’s most inspiring innovation comes from the bottom up in the form of community energy. Groups like Plymouth Energy Community and Yealm Community Energy own and operate commercial-scale renewables, reinvesting profits into local projects. They help residents install solar panels, retrofit homes, and cut fuel poverty - proving that clean energy can also be a tool for social justice.
These organisations are the connective tissue between infrastructure and impact. They ensure that the benefits of renewable energy are shared, not just produced.
The Bigger Picture: Why Devon Matters
Devon’s story mirrors the challenge and opportunity facing the UK as a whole.
Delivering net zero isn’t about one technology, one project, or one sector. It’s about integration - connecting clean power, clean heat, clean fuels, and clean data into a coherent system that improves lives.
Devon is quietly becoming a model for this systems approach. It has the natural resources, industrial capability, academic strength, and community participation to make the green transition real.
And that’s why it’s the perfect focal point for our latest “Beneath the Surface” feature.
Join the Ripple Effect
The Green Voice Alliance exists to amplify these stories - the ones that go beyond the turbines, the panels, and the policies. We highlight the people, partnerships, and positive ripples that prove renewable energy is already transforming lives.
If you’re part of a Devon-based project - or anywhere in the UK - that’s delivering community benefit through clean energy, we want to hear from you.
Share your story, join our network, and help us turn up the volume on the transition.
One Mission. Many Voices.
Green Voice Alliance – Positive PR for Renewable Energy.
