The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, is today visiting Woking Borough Council’s clean energy projects.
The visit highlights changes to local government legislation that will enable councils to sell renewable electricity to the national grid1.
Commenting on the announcement, Ian Manders, Deputy Director of the Combined Heat and Power Association explains: "The Secretary of State's visit to Woking's district green energy scheme is welcome. However, he must ask the question while he is there, 'why aren't there more Wokings?'."
"Our answer is that it will take more reforms to the energy markets than simply the removal of the ban on councils selling renewable electricity. If the Secretary of State wants more from each council than a few solar panels on the town hall roof, then he must get his Department to tackle the fundamental disadvantages that local energy production faces in today’s electricity markets. Whether it’s selling electricity at a fair market price, getting value for the security they bring to networks, or simply getting a connection to the grid, the dice today are loaded against local, decentralised generators like Woking."
"Local authorities are risk averse organisations. They need firm signals from Government if they are to do more and bring a meaningful ‘localism’ dimension to the energy market. This also means support from the centre to truly empower councils in taking on the new task of local energy provision."
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CHPA
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