The Answer is Blowing in the Wind

Roy Bailey and Tony Benn performed their, “Writing on the Wall” show, at this years Levellers day in Burford and if there is an issue where the writing is on the wall it is in the subject for discussion that day - the coming energy poverty crisis.

In a fit of free-market zealotry, when energy appeared to be plentiful, the UK pursued an everything must go privatisation policy - from electricity, gas, coal, nuclear and oil nothing was safe even the wires and pipelines went with the promise of low prices from competition.

Now we can see where this deluded strategy has lead us as we face the twin crises of energy security and climate change. New Labour Ministers often tell us ‘ownership does not matter’, seeing the powerless PM last summer, begging for hand outs from these global megacorps to pay for lagging for pensioners shows the nonsense of this view. Not only are we paying more for our energy we are also suffering from underinvestment in all forms of energy generation.

As for renewables forget it! The global giants refuse to invest in UK renewables as they seek higher short term profits from investments overseas. No wonder the UK is facing a looming energy gap.

Compare us to Portugal, with no indigenous carbon energy sources, it now obtains over half its energy from renewables. Having invested in wave power – technology developed here in Scotland – renewable energy that you can set your watch by.

Locked into free-market dogma progress on renewables in the UK is pitiful. It is not just the investment strike by the energy giants we have failed to give a lift to small scale renewables development with preferential feed in tariffs giving them the certainty they need for investment.

The lack of investment in our privatised energy infrastructure has prevented what some say is the rational development away from large scale, wasteful industrial scale energy production, towards a decentralised model producing energy closer to where it is needed using new technologies.

Despite the challenges to small scale energy projects there are today some exciting co-operative developments in renewables. One does not have to travel far across the countryside nowadays to see campaign posters against wind turbines

This resistance to private sector wind development can be overcome if the wind farms are owned by the communities in which they sit. Energy4All represented at Burford by John Malone was formed by Bay wind Energy Co-operative to promote community owned energy co-operatives.

Bay wind an Industrial & Provident Society, was formed in 1996 to allow a Cumbrian community to invest in a local wind farm. The original board of directors included 7 members of the community from Ulverston and Barrow. The first share offer in 1996/97 raised 1.2 million to buy two turbines at the Harlock Hill wind farm. In 1998/99 the second share offer raised a further £670,000 to buy one turbine at the Haverigg II wind farm site. Preference was shown for local investors, so that the community shares the economic benefits from their local wind farm. Around 40% of existing Baywind shareholders live either in Cumbria or North Lancashire with a wider number from the Northwest Region.

To date Energy4All has promoted seven community owned energy co-ops in England and another seven in Scotland. Speaking at Burford, John Malone said “Energy4All was created due to daily enquiries received by Baywind Co-operative from people looking to replicate the success of Baywind, the UK's first community-owned wind farm. Baywind co-op has generated enough green electricity to power 1,300 homes a year whilst paying an attractive return to its 1,350 members (averaging 7% per annum), and supporting local initiatives, such as the Baywind Energy Conservation Trust. Owning a wind farm increases awareness of and involvement in renewable energy developments, maximises financial returns from local resources, and mobilises environmental concern.”

No one thinks that wind of itself is the solution to our all our energy needs but anything that gets us out of the clutches of the global power giants and contributes to tackling the crisis we face is important. The largest Energy4All co-operative is Westmill Wind Farm in Oxfordshire. Officially opened by Jonathan Porritt of Friends of the Earth in May 2008, Westmill consists of five 1.3MW turbines, capable of generating sufficient electricity to power the equivalent of 2,500 homes. Over £4.4 million of share capital was raised from its 2,382 members, through community investment, who collectively own and control it.

The scale of the challenge is such we need to maximise all of our indigenous energy options. We need therefore to go much further. When oil was discovered in the North Sea, there was a realisation that it was going to be a long term risky business bringing it to shore, we established a public sector business to undertake this challenge -The British National Oil Corporation.

If we are to take on the challenge of developing a renewables industry particularly in the capital intensive wave and tide power arena we will need a similar public sector champion. We need a British National Renewables Corporation.

Unlike the wind you can set your watch by the tides around Britain’s coast and if the Portuguese can do it so can we. With a global shortage of credit we cannot wait for the private sector to come to the rescue.

If we want a significant renewables sector we need co-operatives but we also need a large scale public sector engagement.

If your community wants to investigate its own renewable energy scheme visit: www.energy4all.co.uk