The full council today supported my motion, with additions from Labour, allowing the council to invest in renewable energy and sell electricity back to the national grid.

My speech is below as well as the motion.

MOTION:

This Council welcomes the announcement by the Government that it will in future allow councils to sell ‘green electricity’ back to the national grid.

This Council notes that by investing in renewable energy schemes, a council would be able to
(a) reduce the costs of energy consumption,
(b) provide additional income through the sale of any excess power generated back to the grid, and
(c) improve the carbon footprint of the council.

In addition, investing in renewable energy technology will be likely to support the growth of County Durham based businesses that are leading the way in developing the micro-generation capacity of the UK.

This Council therefore resolves to examine all future building projects both new-build and refurbishment to identify opportunities for investing in appropriate associated micro-generation capacity in furtherance of the above stated aims.

SPEECH:

On the 18th August, a ridiculous law was lifted. This law had stopped councils like ours from selling electricity to the national grid. This change now means that we can start to invest for the future in our County and move towards a day when perhaps all of County Durham‘s energy needs are produced in County Durham.

 

Council funded wave, wind and solar energy production will help us to cut council tax bills and reduce our carbon footprint. We will be able to sell electricity, receiving high level feed in tariffs. According to indpendent estimates, across the country councils could save over £100m from this. But we have a timescale here – a limited period in which to act to get the biggest benefit.

 

If we get our act together and start to look at this as part of the ongoing local government review, making sure that all new buildings are built with the right technology installed, our long term running costs will be significantly lower.

 

We are still going through major changes from LGR, but think about the possibilities here. By directing investment into this area, we will have far more resources in the future for other programs.

 

If we look at the existing buildings we plan to keep, we could start to install new electricity generation over the next twelve months and save for the next 25 years or more.

 

I would like to think that as we are now well on with surveying our existing buildings, we should know which buildings could have renewable energy installed.

 

Perhaps councillors and AAPs could consider how to help with this funding as well. If a Community centre can save thousands on electricity or gas bills and sell back ot the grid too, it can help ensure buildings are improved and services enhanced.

 

Last year we spent over £10m on energy. If we could cut this by 10% we would have an extra £1m, to spend every year into the future to further invest, to protect frontline services or to keep down council tax bills down for County Durham residents.

 

Equally, I am sure that new council owned buildings will be built in the County over the coming years, and perhaps the goal of not only having carbon neutral buildings can be achieved but even carbon negative buildings, providing energy back to our communities.

 

We can even look at our existing Council housing stock and consider installing solar panels on council homes, helping to cut fuel poverty whilst also generating income for the council – and I know that cabinet members are very interested in this idea.

 

But the most important point in all of this is this:

 

If we start today, every extra day will be a day where we have saved money, made our council and our county and our country more self sufficient in energy provision and done our part in protecting the environment for future generations.

 

In all that we do we must be looking at how to protect the environment and get value for money for County Durham residents.

 

We are just 126 people out of half a million. It rests with us to make tough decisions, but some decisions need not be difficult at all.

 

This council is moving in the right direction, but our carbon footprint is still far too high, whether compared to other comparable councils, or in considering our moral obligations to future generations.

 

By supporting this motion we are placing on record that all we do will be towards the goals of efficiency, environment and the wellbeing of all residents in County Durham.

 

Please support this motion and work together to make our County the best place in the country to live.