Motion No. 1
In accordance with Council Rules of Procedure No.10, Councillor G. Sanderson to move the following motion, received by the Head of Democratic and Electoral Services on 27 September 2021:-
“That Northumberland County Council
(i) Acknowledges the efforts that this Council has made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy;
(ii) Further recognises
that very large financial setup and running costs involved in selling locally generated renewable electricity to local customers result in it being impossible for local renewable electricity generators to do so,
that making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of a renewable electricity supplier’s operation would create significant opportunities for local companies and community groups to be providers of locally generated renewable electricity directly to local people, businesses and organisations, if they wished, and
that revenues received by such local companies or community groups that chose to become local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and facilities and to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions;
(iii) Notes that the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, as a result of its 2021 Technological Innovations and Climate Change inquiry, recommended that a Right to Local Supply for local energy suppliers be established to address this;
(iv) Accordingly resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill, currently supported by a cross-party group of 266 MPs and 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; and
(v) Further resolves to
inform the local media of this decision,
write to local MPs, asking them to support the Bill, and
write to the organisers of the campaign for the Bill, Power for People, (at Camden Collective, 5-7 Buck Street, London NW1 8NJ or info@powerforpeople.org.uk) expressing its support”.
Minutes:
Motion No. 1
In accordance with Council Rules of Procedure No.10, Councillor G. Sanderson moved the following motion, received by the Head of Democratic and Electoral Services on 27 September 2021:-
“That Northumberland County Council
(i) Acknowledges the efforts that this Council has made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy;
(ii) Further recognises
that very large financial setup and running costs involved in selling locally generated renewable electricity to local customers result in it being impossible for local renewable electricity generators to do so,
that making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of a renewable electricity supplier’s operation would create significant opportunities for local companies and community groups to be providers of locally generated renewable electricity directly to local people, businesses and organisations, if they wished, and
that revenues received by such local companies or community groups that chose to become local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and facilities and to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions;
(iii) Notes that the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, as a result of its 2021 Technological Innovations and Climate Change inquiry, recommended that a Right to Local Supply for local energy suppliers be established to address this;
(iv) Accordingly resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill, currently supported by a cross-party group of 266 MPs and 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; and
(v) Further resolves to
inform the local media of this decision,
write to local MPs, asking them to support the Bill, and
write to the organisers of the campaign for the Bill, Power for People, (at Camden Collective, 5-7 Buck Street, London NW1 8NJ or info@powerforpeople.org.uk) expressing its support”.
In introducing the motion the Leader commented that it was essential to decarbonise the electricity supply if climate change targets were to be met and Northumberland was well placed to do that. If the Bill became law, it would be applicable to both commercial and community organisations, and was especially relevant for those communities who relied on alternative sources of power. The Council’s role would be to work with residents, businesses and communities. The capacity was already there to do that through the climate change team and an update on progress with the climate change agenda would be sent to all members.
The motion was seconded by Councillor Plozsaj, who felt this was a great opportunity to diversify the suppliers’ market and to support local economies and communities by keeping money in the local area. The Bill had been supported by 80 local authorities around the country.
The majority of members spoke in support of the motion. A number of additional points were made around:-
• Increasing the number of meetings held remotely where possible and paperless meetings introduced.
• Further investigation of hydro-electric and geo-thermal opportunities.
• The need for communities to see actual benefits from some of this work and for the Council to be an enabler in the provision of services rather than an actual provider itself.
• Local energy should be re-purposed to support schools in their struggle to deal with heating bills so that they could benefit from lower prices.
• All local MPs should be written to to see if a response came back from them.
• Recycling rates needed to be better.
• Neighbourhood Plans and the emerging Local Plan needed to be taken into consideration.
• Council actions should be subject to an environmental audit
The Leader responded to some of the points which had been made, and on the motion being put to the vote there voted FOR: a substantial majority; AGAINST: 0; ABSTENTIONS: 0.
It was therefore RESOLVED that Northumberland County Council:-
(i) Acknowledges the efforts that this Council has made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy;
(ii) Further recognises
that very large financial setup and running costs involved in selling locally generated renewable electricity to local customers result in it being impossible for local renewable electricity generators to do so,
that making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of a renewable electricity supplier’s operation would create significant opportunities for local companies and community groups to be providers of locally generated renewable electricity directly to local people, businesses and organisations, if they wished, and
that revenues received by such local companies or community groups that chose to become local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and facilities and to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions;
(iii) Notes that the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, as a result of its 2021 Technological Innovations and Climate Change inquiry, recommended that a Right to Local Supply for local energy suppliers be established to address this;
(iv) Accordingly resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill, currently supported by a cross-party group of 266 MPs and 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; and
(v) Further resolves to
inform the local media of this decision,
write to local MPs, asking them to support the Bill, and
write to the organisers of the campaign for the Bill, Power for People, (at Camden Collective, 5-7 Buck Street, London NW1 8NJ or info@powerforpeople.org.uk) expressing its support”.
The meeting was adjourned at 16.58 and reconvened at 17.10.