The right to a local supply of clean renewable energy
A motion asking Hastings Borough Council (HBC) to back a drive for the creation of local renewable electricity supply companies has won the backing of local MP Sally-Ann Hart.
Speaking to Hastings In Focus Mrs Hart said today: “I am encouraged by the motion being laid before HBC this week, as the support would be an enormous asset as I fight for clean, renewable energy at Westminster. I therefore encourage all councillors in Hastings to support this motion.”
At tomorrow night’s meeting of the full HBC – the first since February – Labour Councillor Ruby Cox is to propose that the council supports the Local Electricity Bill currently making its way through parliament and backed by 210 MPs from all political parties, 56 local authorities, 56 national charities and other national organisations including the big energy suppliers.
The bill, if made law, would establish a ‘Right to Local Supply’ which would promote local renewable electricity supply companies and co-operatives by making the setup and running costs of selling renewable electricity to local customers proportionate to the size of the supply operation.
HBC has already made clear its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy and last year adopted the ambitious target of making Hastings carbon neutral by 2030.
The motion proposed by Ms Cox would also recognise
- That very large financial setup and running costs involved in selling locally generated renewable electricity to local customers result in it being impossible for local renewable electricity generators to do so,
- That making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of a renewable electricity supplier’s operation would enable and empower new local businesses, or councils, to be providers of locally generated renewable electricity directly to local customers, and
- That revenues received by new local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and facilities and to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions.
The Local Electricity Bill has been proposed by Peter Aldous, the Conservative MP for Waveney and it encourages and enables the creation of the infrastructure to allow the local supply of electricity.
According to Mrs Hart: “Creating local supplies is an important way to reduce greenhouse gases and promote the use of renewable energy. If passed, the Bill would transform the use of renewable energy across Great Britain.”
“I am encouraged to see all parties united in supporting common sense solutions to the climate crisis. During these divisive times, it is important that we put political differences aside to promote the common good,” says Mrs Hart.
Are we quite sure about the wisdom of this? Nottingham has come out of the idea with enormous debts? I believe others may have been stung. https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/nottingham-taxpayers-need-pay-lot-4416004
That’s not the same arrangement or set-up Chris. All the energy companies set up by local authorities have either shut or are going slowly bust. These include Robin Hood Energy ( Nottingham), Your Energy Sussex, Bristol Energy…but these companies were set up to supply the whole of the UK – not local energy to local residents, but paying the full costs of a national supply license – which is what the bill is about. The bill would have helped these companies by allowing them to pay less to Ofgem and only supply their own county.
My research as someone who works in the industry locally indicates that the Local Electricity Bill, in theory, is a good thing, but as it stands, it is flawed and open to abuse so must be amended before being passed as far as I am concerned.
This needs more work, great idea but supplying electricity is expensive.