Minutes:
Councillor Goldspink proposed the following motion on notice on Local Renewable Energy Providers
“East Herts District Council is already making positive efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to promote renewable energy. Furthermore, the Council recognises:
1) that the very large financial set-up and running costs involved in selling locally generated electricity to local customers result in it being impossible for local renewable-electricity generators to do so,
2) that making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of a 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 if they wished, and
3) that revenues received by such local companies, community groups or councils that chose to become local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and facilities and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This Council also notes that the Parliamentary Environmental Audit committee, as a result of its 2021 Technological Innovations and Climate Change Enquiry, recommended that a Right to Local Supply for local energy suppliers be established to address these issues.
This Council accordingly resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill, currently supported by a cross-party group of 264 MPs, and which, if made law, would establish a Right to Local Supply, which would promote local renewable electricity supply by making the set-up and running costs of selling renewable energy to local customers proportionate to the size of the supply company; and
This Council further resolves to:
a) inform the local media of this decision;
b) write to the local MPs, asking them to support the Bill;
and
c) write to the organisers of the campaign for the
Bill, “Power for the
People”, at 5-7 Buck Street, London NW1 8NJ, expressing its
support.”
Councillor Dumont seconded the motion.
Councillor Graham McAndrew proposed amendments to the original motion as follows:
“East Herts District Council is already making positive efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to promote renewable energy. Furthermore, the Council recognises:
1) that facilitating access to the market for a wider range of more local generators and suppliers of electricity is in line with the council’s Sustainable Action Plan which is built on the premise that achieving carbon neutrality in the district will require a multiplicity of effort from individuals and community groups all the way through to large stakeholders and partners,
2)
that currently, the complexity very large financial
set-up and running costs involved in selling locally generated
electricity to local customers result in local generators and/or
suppliers of renewable energy being unable to enter the market.
it being impossible for local renewable-electricity generators
to do so,
3)
that making these financial costs proportionate to
the scale of a renewable electricity generator and/or
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 if they wished, and
4) that revenues received by such local companies, community groups or councils that chose to become local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and facilities and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This Council also notes that the Parliamentary Environmental
Audit committee, as a result of its 2021 Technological Innovations
and Climate Change Enquiry, recommended has taken evidence
that a Right to Local Supply for local energy suppliers be
established to address these issues.
This Council accordingly resolves to support the Local
Electricity Bill, currently supported by a cross-party group of 264
MPs, and which, if made law, would establish a Right to Local
Supply, that is the right of local generators and/or suppliers to
access their local market via a less onerous licensing route with
more which would promote local renewable electricity supply by
making the set-up and running costs of selling renewable energy to
local customers proportionate to the size of the supply
company set up and running costs; and
This Council further resolves to:
a) use its place within the Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership to inform local partners and stakeholders of the potential benefits of local electricity supply,
b) welcome efforts to reduce the complexity of access to the market by urging for further consideration and definition of key terms within the Bill such as making ‘the conditions of the local supply licence as simple and straightforward’ as possible,
c) inform the local media of this decision of the
Council’s decision to support the Bill;
d) write to the local MPs, asking them to support the Bill
informing them of the Council’s decision; and
e) write to the organisers of the campaign for the
Bill, “Power for the
People”, at 5-7 Buck Street, London NW1 8NJ, expressing its
support.”
In proposing the amendment, Councillor McAndrew thanked Councillors Goldspink and Beckett for having proposed the original motion. He said that efforts to increase the supply of renewal electricity and reduce the costs for smaller generators and suppliers were to be commended and encouraged. He said that while he agreed that the Council should signal its support for the Local Electricity Bill, he had proposed an amendment which sought to build on and strengthen the wording of the motion. His amendment sought to recognise that the emphasis of the Bill on widening market access to a larger and more local range of renewable energy generators and suppliers accords with the council’s premise that achieving carbon neutrality would require a multiplicity of effort from individuals and community groups as well as larger stakeholders. He believed that the council should be clearer in stressing that it is the complexity of entering the market, rather than the costs alone, which was deterring smaller organisations.
Councillor Kemp said that the flexibility of the energy market was vital for low carbon energy. He said that similar motions were being proposed across the country and the principle for flexible energy was a good one.
Councillor Bell thanked Councillor McAndrew for the amendments as it gave the motion greater weight.
Councillor Goldspink said she was happy to accept the amendment.
The amended motion having been proposed by Councillor McAndrew was put to the meeting and was declared CARRIED. The motion then became the substantive motion as follows:
East Herts District Council is already making positive efforts
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to promote renewable
energy. Furthermore, the Council
recognises:
1) that facilitating access to the market for a wider range of more local generators and suppliers of electricity is in line with the council’s Sustainability Action Plan which is built on the premise that achieving carbon neutrality in the district will require a multiplicity of effort from individuals and community groups all the way through to large stakeholders and partners,
2) that currently, the complexity, very large financial set-up and running costs involved in selling locally generated electricity to local customers result in local generators and/or suppliers of renewable energy being unable to enter the market,
3) that making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of a renewable electricity generator and/or supplier’s operation would create significant opportunities for local companies, community groups and councils to be providers of renewable electricity directly to local people, businesses and organisations if they wished, and
4) that revenues received by such local companies, community groups or councils that chose to become local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and facilities and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This Council also notes that the Parliamentary Environmental Audit committee, as a result of its 2021 Technological Innovations and Climate Change Enquiry, has taken evidence that a Right to Local Supply for local energy suppliers be established to address these issues.
This Council accordingly resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill, currently supported by a cross-party group of 264 MPs, and which, if made law, would establish a Right to Local Supply, that is the right of local generators and/or suppliers to access their local market via a less onerous licensing route with more proportionate set up and running costs; and
This Council further resolves to
a) use its place within the Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership to inform local partners and stakeholders of the potential benefits of local electricity supply,
b) welcome efforts to reduce the complexity of access to the market by urging for further consideration and definition of key terms within the Bill such as making ‘the conditions of the local supply licence as simple and straightforward’ as possible,
c) inform the local media of the Council’s decision to support the Bill,
d) write to the local MPs, informing them of the Council’s decision, and
e) write to the organisers of the campaign for the Bill, “Power for the People”, at 5-7 Buck Street, London NW1 8NJ, expressing its support.
A vote was taken on the substantive motion and was declared CARRIED.