At full council on Wednesday 31st March , Comhairle SNP Group leader, Cllr Gordon Murray has tabled the following question
Would the Convenor agree with the Comhairle SNP group’s long held aspiration to harness our God-given energy resources by converting these to carbon free energy and thus replenish our coffers annually to help address funding deficits and capital projects?
and following the question, I have tabled the motion below.
That Comhairle nan Eilean SIar
(i) acknowledges the efforts that this council has made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy;
(ii) recognises that councils can play a central role in creating sustainable communities, particularly through the provision of locally generated renewable electricity;
(iii) 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 councils to be providers of locally generated renewable electricity directly to local people, businesses and organisations, and • that revenues received by councils that became local renewable electricity providers could be used to help fund local greenhouse gas emissions reduction measures and to help improve local services and facilities;
(iv) accordingly resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill which, if made law, would make the setup and running costs of selling renewable electricity to local customers proportionate by establishing a Right to Local Supply; and
(v) further resolves to instruct the Chief Executive 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 8 Delancey Passage, Camden, London NW1 7NNor info@powerforpeole.org.uk) expressing its support.
Cllr Murray stated: "This is a hugely important bill for our situation here in the Western Isles and I hope that the Comhairle will support our motion n the strongest possible terms."
