Northumberland County Council commended for supporting local clean energy bill

Campaign group Power for People has commended Northumberland County Council for resolving to support a Bill that would increase domestically generated clean energy.

The proposed new law, known as the Local Electricity Bill, is supported by a cross-party group of 280 MPs. Northumberland County Council joins the other 90 local authorities across the UK who have resolved to support the bill.

If made law, it would create a new ‘Right to Local Supply’ of energy that would empower communities to sell locally generated electricity directly to local households and businesses.

This was a key recommendation of the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee, who advise the Government on environmental policy, following their recent inquiry into community-scale renewable energy.

Campaigning group, Power for People, are calling for MPs and the Government to make the bill law and are leading a supportive coalition of organisations including Community Energy England, Community Energy Scotland, Community Energy Wales, Good Energy, WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and the RSPB.

Leader of Northumberland County Council, Councillor Glen Sanderson, who proposed the successful motion, said: “The Local Electricity Bill will empower and enable new community energy companies to sell energy that they generate directly to local people.

“The revenues received by these new local renewable energy providers would be used to help improve the local economy and local services and facilities.”

Power for People’s director, Steve Shaw, said: “We thank Northumberland County Council for supporting the Local Electricity Bill, with special thanks to Councillor Glen Sanderson.

“If made law, the Bill would unleash the huge potential for new community-owned clean energy infrastructure, making our energy system more robust and boosting local economies, jobs, services and facilities in Northumberland and in communities across the country.”