John Baron MP supports Local Electricity Bill

MP thanked by campaigners for championing community energy

John Baron MP supports a proposed new law – the Local Electricity Bill – which would empower communities to sell locally-generated electricity directly to local households, businesses and local public services, reducing dependence on foreign gas. Close to a majority of the House of Commons now supports the Bill, and it is a year since the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee recommended the Government implement this change. Power for People, the campaign group supporting the Bill, has thanked John for supporting this proposed legislation.

Currently, customers can only purchase electricity from nationally licensed utilities. The national coalition supporting the Bill – including WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the RSPB – say this means that money people use to pay their energy bills is not helping to strengthen local economies or build new local clean energy generation infrastructure. Both are now more crucial than ever, as the UK works to combat the challenge of reducing our reliance on foreign gas imports.

John said,

“I am pleased to support the Local Electricity Bill, which will empower and enable new community energy companies to sell energy they generate directly to local people, helping to strengthen the local economy. The Bill will also help accelerate our transition to clean energy, which is critical in avoiding the potential economic and ecological devastation of climate change.”

Power for People’s Director, Steve Shaw, said,

“The enormous emissions reductions the Local Electricity Bill aims to bring must be a key pillar in our mission to avert climate catastrophe. If made law, it would unleash the huge potential for new community-owned clean energy infrastructure, making our energy system more robust and boosting the economies of communities across the country, including in Basildon and Billericay. We thank John Baron for supporting the Bill.”

Notes to Editors:

• Power for People say if made law the Bill could mean community renewable energy growing twentyfold by 2030, taking it from 0.5% to 10% of UK electricity generation and bringing widespread knock-on economic and social benefits.

• The group are calling for MPs and the Government to back the Bill and are leading a supportive coalition of community leaders and national organisations including Community Energy England, Community Energy Scotland, Community Energy Wales, Good Energy, WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the RSPB. 104 local authorities have also pledged their support.

• A one-minute video on the Local Electricity Bill is available online at: https://powerforpeople.org.uk/community-energy-animation/