Chris Huhne urges local councils to lead 'green energy revolution' (Southampton Liberal Democrats)

Southampton Liberal Democrats <info@southampton-libdems.org.uk>

Chris Huhne urges local councils to lead 'green energy revolution'

August 9, 2010 12:15 PM
By Patrick Wintour in guardian.co.uk

huhne Energy secretary lifts ban on the sale of surplus electricity to the national grid as UK aims to meet EU energy targets.

Local councils will be allowed to sell renewable electricity to the National Grid from today, with the energy secretary, Chris Huhne, urging them to position themselves at the forefront of a power revolution. Huhne has lifted a ban on the sale of surplus electricity to the grid by councils, which say the scheme could raise £100m a year for cash-strapped local authorities in England and Wales.

At present only 0.01% of electricity in England is generated by local authority-owned renewables. In Germany the equivalent figure is 100 times higher.

The Local Government Association said council-owned wind turbines and solar panels on town halls, council homes, leisure centres and other municipal buildings could be money spinners.

Gary Porter, chairman of the LGA's environment board, said: "This has the potential to cut energy bills, reduce emissions and raise millions of pounds.

"Councils have lots of buildings, from offices and leisure centres to houses and flats, depots and community centres that could be transformed into local green power stations."

Huhne announced the plan to allow councils to sell electricity at the LGA conference in June, and has won praise for acting so quickly.

As things stand, the UK risks missing its EU commitment to produce 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Huhne said last night: "For too long, Whitehall's dogmatic reliance on 'big' energy has stood in the way of the vast potential role of local authorities in the UK's green energy revolution.

"This is a vital step to making community renewable projects commercially viable, to bring in long-term income to benefit local areas, and to secure local acceptance for low carbon energy projects."

The idea has been promoted most heavily by Woking council in Surrey. The council's chief executive, Ray Morgan, said he welcomed the plan but urged the government to make Ofgem, the energy regulator, go further in lifting restrictions.