Home grown electricity

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Published: 03 November 2006

Home grown electricity

The Government’s promise of “Power to the People” is to take a new form in the proposed shift away from large centralised power production to community based 'locally grown' energy, could help cut carbon emissions and improve efficiency.

Following the Energy Review the Government, together with Ofgem, is examining the incentives & barriers that impact on this way of producing energy, known as 'distributed energy' or 'decentralised energy'.

Alistair Darling said:

"There is huge potential for us to make energy a local issue, involving individuals, businesses and communities.

More and more people want to generate their own electricity at home and people can now buy the products on the high street.

Solar panels, wind turbines and greater energy efficiency can help cut emissions and the impact on the environment.

Making it easier for people to sell surplus electricity back to the Grid and looking at the potential of new combined heat and power domestic boilers, must be considered."

In line with the new policy, the Government has recently announced it has granted consent for a new power station at Isle of Grain in Kent, which is to make use of the heat produced when the electricity is made to supply local industry.

In an effort to encourage ‘distributed energy’ the Government has published a Distributed Electricity generation document and asks for evidence of the barriers & incentives from interested parties.

There is particular interest in evidence on:

· licensing issues

· ensuring fair reward for distributed electricity sold into the grid, and

· the operation of private wire networks

Further information

DTI Energy Review website

Distributed Energy: A call for Evidence

EON press release about new power station in Kent

Greenpeace report: Power: An Energy Revolution For The 21st Century (4.6Mb)

The World Alliance for Decentralized Energy (WADE)

Micropower Council

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