The publicly-owned Energy Company Delivery Board should launch by January, and plans are afoot to cover up half of all council-owned residential roof space with solar panels. With an estimated 9,700 households in the borough suffering from fuel poverty, the move should put the council in a stronger position to supply competitively-priced energy to vulnerable residents. Energy chief Cllr Jon Burke said: “In the face of limited and often retrograde central government action, Hackney is joining a movement across local government that is helping to transform the energy system from one underpinned by fossil fuels to one characterised by clean and extremely low-carbon sources of energy. “It is our aim to protect residents and the environment we live in. By ensuring there is another publicly-owned, publicly-accountable energy company in the marketplace, we believe we can achieve these goals while placing reputational pressure on the dominant players of the energy world, driving change more broadly.”
Hackney Gazette 5th Nov 2018 read more »
Edinburgh’s £7.3m Saughton Park restoration project has received a major boost thanks to funding from the Scottish Power (SP) Energy Networks Green Economy Fund. Almost half a million pounds has been awarded toward the delivery of a micro hydro-electric system on the Water of Leith, which will power two ground source heat pumps and generate energy for the park’s lighting and buildings once their refurbishment is complete. As well as saving on energy costs, the innovative scheme to install an Archimedes Screw Turbine on an existing weir will help lower carbon emissions by providing a renewable energy solution in the park. The project has received a share of SP Energy Networks’ £20m fund, established earlier this year, recognising initiatives that support Scotland’s green energy plans and local economic growth.
Edinburgh Reporter 17th Nov 2018 read more »