renew ene report

To consider the draft Community Renewable Energy Strategy for the Isle of Wight and to recommend its adoption to the Executive.

Since April 2001 the Council has been developing a renewable energy strategy for the Island, part funded by the EU Altener programme, and with technical and research support from Intermediate Technology Consultants Ltd (ITC)

Throughout this time the development of the strategy has been in full consultation with the Island’s community. This has involved a major public launch in July 2001, a presentation of the Technical Analysis Report by ITC (detailing resources and technologies available to the Island) at a highly participatory workshop in March 2002 and a series of 12 community working groups (ranging from 20-35 participants at each) through May, June and July 2002. These events and the RES work in general have received significant media coverage in the local press, radio and on BBC South and hence awareness and understanding has been raised amongst the wider Island community.

The community working groups, including officers and members of the Council, have largely focused upon 'Flagship' renewable energy projects identified within the Technical Analysis Report. These are Community Wind; Biomass/CHP; Zero-fossil Energy Build; Biodiesel; Anaerobic Digestion and Marine Current Turbines. The working groups have been highly interactive and as far as possible have included presentations from invited speakers who are experts in the field. The final combined working group met at the end of July to receive and discuss the Cost Benefit Analysis Report prepared by ITC and to make recommendations about RES targets and Flagship Projects which would feed into the Island Renewable Energy Strategy The recommendations made were based on the premise of community ownership and benefit deriving from any agreed RES target and technology.

The draft strategy will be considered the Executive on 22 October 2002. Final consultation will then take place and it is planned that the Island Renewable Energy Strategy will be put before the full Council in December 2002.

Opportunities exist to seek significant external funding to support the implementation of the Renewable Energy Strategy and the development of the identified Flagship Projects. However, this will require dedicated officer time and specific budgets to engage appropriate external expertise It is anticipated that these activities will have a financial resource implication of up to £25,000 over a 6 month period

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Executive be recommended to :-

(a) Approve the draft Renewable Energy Strategy for the Isle of Wight to 2010.

(b) Identify appropriate resource allocation to support its implementation.