'More power for local authorities and communities to make renewables decisions,' says renewables expert

The chief executive of renewable energy delivery experts Regen SW has said that 'there will be more power for local authorities and communities to make renewables decisions, but little regard to national priorities such as our renewable energy targets' following the release of the government's new localism bill earlier this week.

Speaking earlier today, Merlin Hyman said: "This week we have seen two major announcements from the government - today's electricity market reform proposals, and the Localism Bill that was laid before parliament on Monday. While the electricity market reforms will see the phasing out of the ROCs system in favour of a variant of Feed in Tariffs, the Localism Bill will see a clear thrust towards local authorities and local communities having more power to decide planning policy in their area. This will inevitably result in little regard to national priorities such as our renewable energy targets.

"This will lead to a much more diverse planning system. We will see some areas that have ambitious and proactive policies on sustainable energy, whereas others could become virtual 'no go' areas for larger developments."

Some of the detailed changes, such as allowing councillors to actively campaign on proposals rather than having to remain impartial, reinforce the move away from national frameworks to local politics. "This means," added Merlin, "that renewable energy developers and installers will need to understand and influence (even more than is already the case) the local policies and politics in different local authorities and, indeed, potentially in different communities."

Regen SW is holding its annual general meeting for members in Exeter on Monday, where Jonathan Johns - founder of Ernst & Young's renewable energy practice - will be giving an expert view on the impact of electricity market reform. It will also be running an on-line question and answer session for members on the changes and the Localism Bill on 11 January, and coordinating a response to the consultation based on members' input.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

Interviews
To interview Merlin Hyman or any member of Regen SW, or for accompanying images, contact James Reddy on the number below.

About Regen SW
Regen SW is a not for profit company working to enable business, local authorities and other organisations to deliver renewable energy and energy efficiency and build a prosperous low-carbon economy in the south west of England. www.regensw.co.uk

For further information
Please contact James Reddy, Regen SW communications manager on 01392 474322/07967 835947 or to email him click here