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| Renewable Energy
Renewable energy comes from the flows of energy that occur naturally and continuously in the environment. In the UK these include wind (both on and offshore), the sun (using solar panels), water (including conventional hydro-electricity and developing tidal stream and wave technologies) and biomass fuels (energy crops). These are not exhaustible resources like coal, oil and gas, and as they are not fossil fuels they do not contribute to climate change.
Less than 3% of the electricity used in the UK in 2004/05, came from renewable sources. The Government is committed to increasing this and has set a target of 10% of UK electricity to be generated renewably by 2010, aiming for 20% by 2020.
The Regional Energy Strategy for the West Midlands includes a target for 5% of consumption of the region’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2010. The County Council is contributing to this, and helping to stimulate demand by buying energy from renewable sources. Currently 94% of the County Council’s electricity is being procured from renewable sources. This has cut the Council’s CO2 emissions by 46,000 tonnes per annum since 2002/03.
We support the generation of energy from these sources and can influence the adoption of local renewable energy production through partnerships and education campaigns.
The County Council is itself a small generator of renewable energy, through the capture of methane gas from closed landfill sites, e.g. at Ryton Country Park, and via a wind turbine at Pooley Fields Country Park.
Energy efficiency is considered in all County Council building projects and we have recently developed a flagship BREEAM excellent low-energy building at the Eliot Park Innovative Centre, Nuneaton, part-powered by photovoltaics. |
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