Agenda item

To consider the motion submitted by Councillor Snowdon in accordance with Standing Order No. 21:

Power for People Motion - Support for the Local Electricity Bill

That Chesterfield Borough Council

(i) Acknowledges the vital efforts that are being 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, community groups and councils 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, 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 local greenhouse gas emissions;

(iii) Notes that the Parliamentary 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 264 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.

It was moved by Councillor Snowdon and seconded by Councillor Kellman that:

Power for People Motion - Support for the Local Electricity Bill

That Chesterfield Borough Council

(i) Acknowledges the vital efforts that are being 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, community groups and councils 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, 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 local greenhouse gas emissions;

(iii) Notes that the Parliamentary 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 264 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.

It was moved by Councillor Serjeant and seconded by Councillor Lisa Collins that the motion be amended to read as follows:

Power for People Motion - Support for the Local Electricity Bill

That Chesterfield Borough Council

(i) Acknowledges the vital efforts that are being 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, community groups and councils 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, 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 local greenhouse gas emissions;

(iii) Notes that the Parliamentary 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) Notes that 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 could 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) Also notes that, while the Local Electricity Bill could support local renewable energy, it has no specific requirement for electricity to be generated from renewable sources as currently drafted.

(vi) Accordingly resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill in principle, but urges the bill sponsor to consider explicitly excluding non-renewable sources of electricity.

(vii) 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.

On being put to the vote the amendment to the motion was declared carried.

On being put to the vote the motion (as amended) was declared carried.