Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/106

Contact: Victoria Fletcher, Interim Spatial Infrastructure Planning & Resources Manager Tel: 07500 131855

Report by the Acting Deputy Director for Environment & Economy – Strategy & Infrastructure Planning (CMDE10).

Oxfordshire County Council spends around £7 million on the energy needed for its corporate estate and activities.  This energy use results in the emission of around 20,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year.  Medium term predictions of increasing prices create a risk of financial pressure to the organisation if energy is not managed effectively.

During the past year the Energy Strategy team has worked with colleagues across the organisation to develop an Energy Strategy to set out the framework to manage energy use in all areas across our estate and activities to meet the following objectives:

·                     Maintain corporate energy costs at or below 2014/15 levels by reducing our energy use and purchasing energy effectively. 

·                     Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our properties and activities by 3% year on year, on average, in line with the Oxfordshire 2030 Sustainable Community Strategy commitment.

·                     Make use of renewables and innovative new technologies where economically viable to reduce risk of supply, reduce costs and generate income.

The Cabinet Member is RECOMMENDED to support the objectives and principles set out in the Oxfordshire County Council Internal Energy Strategy 2015-2020 document.

Approved

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered (CMDE10) the County Council’s Internal Energy Management Strategy 2015-2020 which set out a framework in which to manage energy use in all areas across the County’s estate and activities in order to meet the following objectives:

·                     Maintain corporate energy costs at or below 2014/15 levels by reducing energy use and purchasing energy effectively. 

·                     Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from county properties and activities by 3% year on year, on average, in line with the Oxfordshire 2030 Sustainable Community Strategy commitment.

·                     Make use of renewables and innovative new technologies where economically viable to reduce risk of supply, reduce costs and generate income.

Presenting the report Victoria Fletcher highlighted the benefits of the strategy to the County Council and the environment.

Recognising that a lot of what was in the Strategy also fell within the portfolio for the Cabinet Member for property he had taken the opportunity to discuss it with her.  Both were happy to support it and so having regard to the information set out in the report he confirmed his decision as follows:

to support the objectives and principles set out in the Oxfordshire County Council Internal Energy Strategy 2015-2020 document.

Signed………………………………

Cabinet Member for Environment

Dated……………………………….