Why Ecofirst?Plans to overturn ban
Energy secretary Chris Huhne has just announced plans to overturn a ban on local authorities from selling renewable electricity to the National Grid in a move which could encourage more councils to develop renewable energy schemes.
Speaking at the Local Government Association (LGA) annual conference in Bournemouth, Mr Huhne said: “It is frankly ridiculous that the 1976 Local Government Act prevents councils from selling electricity from local wind turbines, or from anaerobic digestion. I want to see this repealed. By the end of the year, I hope local authorities will be able to sell electricity from renewables – generating revenue to help local services and keep Council Tax down: local communities, truly benefiting from the low-carbon transition. This will allow local authorities to take full advantage of the incentives that are available through feed-in tariffs to invest in renewable energy on their own buildings. We are also keen for local authorities to work with other partners on community scale renewable electricity schemes which can be supported by FITs.”
