Local Authority Electricity Generation

I was interested to read of a growing trend towards municipal electricity generation.  Brent is doing this in two ways.

On a small scale Brent is now itself an electricity generator.  The new Civic Centre uses waste fish products as a renewable fuel for a generator in the basement.  This is expected to power all the Civic Centre's electricity needs, with surplus power being sold on the grid.  Three years ago I asked about using buildings for solar installations, but was told the payback time would take too long.  However, it would be good to keep this idea in mind in case the economics change.  Parking meters have long had solar panels, and it is imaginable that certain kinds of street furniture might be suitable.  There may also be some scope for some Council owned or school buildings to be used.

The authorities that do this on a sufficient scale (and that sounds a lot more practical for somewhere like Southampton than for Brent) will also have the advantage of an inherent hedge against electricity price rises.  If prices up, an authority that is a substantial power generator can offset the higher cost of consumption by selling its own electricity at a higher price.

The second area where the Council can affect this agenda is in planning requirements.  We routinely require new buildings to generate at least an element of their own electricity.  Current planning policy also includes provision for district heating schemes in South Kilburn and in Wembley.  Neither of these are live yet, but there is potential for substantial numbers of homes to be connected once a critical mass is achieved.