Municipal Energy: Ensuring councils plan, manage and deliver on local energy

Let’s shape a different future for the UK’s energy market

A leading local government think tank has called for a different future for the UK’s energy markets by placing municipal energy, through local council schemes, at the heart of a fairer and greener energy market.

‘Municipal Energy: Ensuring councils plan, manage and deliver on local energy’ finds that:-

• For every £1 invested in renewable energy schemes there is a further £2.90 in casheable benefits
• 17 jobs can be created from every £1 million in energy saving measures on buildings
• Energy efficiency and renewable energy can create 10 times more jobs per unit of electricity generated that fossil fuels and
• The local government sector annual energy bill of £750 million could be reduced by up to half by leveraging in spending power and using readily available and low cost technologies existing buildings.

Report author Philip Monaghan speaking at the launch of the report at APSE’s annual seminar 2015 said “A new wave of council entrepreneurs have the capacity and capability to integrate municipal energy schemes across key frontline services, from regeneration to housing, from planning to corporate resources, from maintaining public buildings and assets to highways and street lighting, the prism of municipal energy should act as a catalyst to change the way we think about energy production, consumption and supply”.

Responding to the report Paul O’Brien, APSE’s chief executive said “ The municipalisation of energy is about councils taking a leading role in the breakup of a failed energy market monopoly. We can no longer tinker at the edges whilst consumers, including councils as consumers themselves, get a raw deal. Bold councils such as Peterborough, Nottingham and Bristol are leading the way in not only developing renewable energy alternatives to fossil fuels but in doing so they are delivering value for money for local council tax-payers, generating income and addressing fuel poverty through reduced energy bills for residents.”

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