2013-05-01

Created page with " '''* Report: Collective Power. Changing the way we consume energy. By Robbie Erbmann, Hugh Goulbourne & Piya Malik. the co-operative party, May 2009.''' URL = http://www.par..."

New page

'''* Report: Collective Power. Changing the way we consume energy. By Robbie Erbmann, Hugh Goulbourne & Piya Malik. the co-operative party, May 2009.'''

URL = http://www.party.coop/files/2011/07/Collective-Power-pamphlet-low-res.pdf

=Description=

Executive Summary:

"Rising and volatile energy costs have been a major source of difficulty for

many households and small to medium sized businesses. Dwindling oil

and gas supplies mean that the UK is increasingly reliant on foreign energy

imports. And then there is the problem of climate change. We all know that

the long-term future of our planet is at stake, and that if we do not control

future levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases then we are

heading for a global climate catastrophe.

While there is an important role for Government in waging the energy

revolution, its capacity to do so on its own is limited. As Ed Miliband, the

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has stated, protecting the

future of our planet ‘requires actions by individuals, but nobody believes

that a wind turbine on your roof alone is going to solve the climate crisis on

its own. These things are not worth doing unless everybody does them, so it

requires us to come together collectively and act.’

What has been missing up until now has been the question of ‘how?’ What

sort of structure can provide a vehicle through which communities up and

down the country can both reduce and meet their energy needs? How can

we ensure that all people, not just the few, will be able to share in the gains

of the new energy infrastructure that is created?

The answer is that we need consumer ownership. Through collectively

pooling their purchasing power, residents, local businesses and public

sector organisations can all come together to save money and help

tackle the threat of climate change. Banding together in this way, energy

co-operatives are able to purchase their own energy on the wholesale

markets and negotiate affordable deals for state of the art smart

metering technology. This should allow households to realise savings of

10% - 20% on average.

While these organisations may begin as a practical expression of self-help,

they have the capacity to revolutionise the way in which we purchase and

produce energy. Once established, the co-operative forms a framework

through which ordinary people can build and own an infrastructure that

will reduce their long-term energy costs and manage the reduction of their

carbon emissions.

The Government’s role in this is crucial. While state action cannot create

social movements, it can create the conditions under which they can

thrive. The opportunity exists to create a new social movement that can

ensure that we are all able to make the change to the low-carbon lifestyle.

There has never been a better time to ensure that this opportunity is

brought into reality."

[[Category:Energy]]

[[Category:Policy]]

[[Category:Articles]]

[[Category:UK]]

Show more