Agenda item

“This Council:

(i)         Acknowledges efforts that this Council has made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy;  

(ii)        Recognises that large financial setup and running costs involved in selling locally generated renewable electricity to local customers make impossible for local renewable electricity generators,

(iii)       Recognises that making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of renewable electricity supplier’s operation would create significant opportunities for local companies, community groups and councils to be providers of locally generated renewable electricity directly to local people, businesses and organisations, and

(iv)   Recognises that revenues received by local companies, community groups or councils that become local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and reduce local greenhouse gas emissions;

(iv)      Notes that the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee has recommended that a Right to Local Supply for local energy suppliers be established to address this.

Council resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill, supported by a cross-party group of over 260 MPs, which, if made law, would establish a Right to Local Supply which would promote local renewable electricity supply by making the setup and running costs of selling renewable electricity to local customers proportionate to the size of the supply company.  Council further resolves to ask the Leader of the Council to:

·             inform the local media of this decision,

·             write to other local MPs, asking them to support the Bill, and

·             write to the organisers Power for People, info@powerforpeople.org.uk) expressing its support.”

Councillor Jane Murphy moved and Councillor Liz Leffman seconded the following motion:

“This Council:

(i)         Acknowledges efforts that this Council has made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy;  

(ii)        Recognises that large financial setup and running costs involved in selling locally generated renewable electricity to local customers make it impossible for local renewable electricity generators,

(iii)       Recognises that making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of renewable electricity suppliers’ operation would create significant opportunities for local companies, community groups and councils to be providers of locally generated renewable electricity directly to local people, businesses and organisations, and

(iv)   Recognises that revenues received by local companies, community groups or councils that become local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and reduce local greenhouse gas emissions;

(iv)      Notes that the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee has recommended that a Right to Local Supply for local energy suppliers be established to address this.

Council resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill, supported by a cross-party group of over 260 MPs, which, if made law, would establish a Right to Local Supply which would promote local renewable electricity supply by making the setup and running costs of selling renewable electricity to local customers proportionate to the size of the supply company.  Council further resolves to ask the Leader of the Council to:

·             inform the local media of this decision,

·             write to other local MPs, asking them to support the Bill, and

·             write to the organisers Power for People, info@powerforpeople.org.uk) expressing its support.”

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was carried by 16 votes to 0 (unanimously).

RESOLVED: (unanimous)

“This Council:

(i)         Acknowledges efforts that this Council has made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy;  

(ii)        Recognises that large financial setup and running costs involved in selling locally generated renewable electricity to local customers make it impossible for local renewable electricity generators,

(iii)       Recognises that making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of renewable electricity suppliers’ operation would create significant opportunities for local companies, community groups and councils to be providers of locally generated renewable electricity directly to local people, businesses and organisations, and

(iv)   Recognises that revenues received by local companies, community groups or councils that become local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and reduce local greenhouse gas emissions;

(iv)      Notes that the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee has recommended that a Right to Local Supply for local energy suppliers be established to address this.

Council resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill, supported by a cross-party group of over 260 MPs, which, if made law, would establish a Right to Local Supply which would promote local renewable electricity supply by making the setup and running costs of selling renewable electricity to local customers proportionate to the size of the supply company.  Council further resolves to ask the Leader of the Council to:

·             inform the local media of this decision,

·             write to other local MPs, asking them to support the Bill, and

·             write to the organisers Power for People, info@powerforpeople.org.uk) expressing its support.”