DECC Minister Greg Barker, Kemptown MP Simon Kirby and BEC Chairman Will Cottrell (L-R) discuss community energy in front of a BEC solar system on St George’s Church, Kemptown. 6/9/13.
Yesterday Energy Minister Greg Barker and Kemptown MP Simon Kirby met Brighton Energy Coop to discuss community energy in Sussex.
The two MPs inspected our solar systems on St George’s Church, along with members of the St George’s team.
Mr Barker was very complimentary about what BEC had achieved, and asked me to send a big congratulations to all of you who have invested in our pioneering scheme to date.
Speaking earlier at a meeting on Community Energy in Lewes, Greg Barker said: “You are at the forefront of a movement that will profoundly change the way we consume and produce energy.”
“Community energy has the power to unleash a revolution in grassroots distributed energy that can genuinely challenge the status quo. It’s a genuinely exciting opportunity to kickstart widescale involvement in renewable energy.”
Very true. Community Energy is an effective way for people to get involved in issues like climate change and resource security. Individually it’s hard for us to do much about it, but by collectively pooling our resources we can install large scale renewable energy – just as BEC has done and continues to do.
Indeed, with many schemes in the pipeline (including BEC2, our next solar project, details next month), the growth of community energy – and it’s supporters – is very heartening to be a part of.
Onwards and upwards!
Best
Will
BEC
