In the debate on the government’s Great British Energy Bill on 29 October, Victoria Collins, MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, called for the Bill to advance community energy projects which produce clean and cheap renewable energy.

The Labour government’s Great British Energy Bill to establish a publicly owned energy company to boost clean energy production and supply, earlier this week had its Third Reading and Report Stage in the House of Commons.

During the debate on this Bill, Victoria Collins, Liberal Democrat MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, spoke up about the need for it to also include support for community-led clean energy projects which play an important role in providing affordable renewable energy.

As Victoria highlighted in Parliament, local organisations in Harpenden and Berkhamsted like the Grand Union Community Energy Community Benefit Society are playing a vital part in the rollout of renewables. They aim to help vulnerable individuals cope with rising energy bills, using proceeds to help local residents, through clean energy schemes including solar canopies and heating from the aquifer. They work entirely not-for-profit. However, such organisations are currently hindered in this by significant costs of selling power to local residents.

Although the Great British Energy Bill proposes greater investment in clean energy which Victoria strongly welcomes to tackle the climate crisis, and to help local residents and businesses cope with sky-rocketing energy bills, she today raised that the government’s Bill neglects the important role of community energy schemes in this.

Liberal Democrats have long called for support for the rollout of renewable energy after the Conservatives entirely failed to invest in it, or to insulate homes, pushing up everyone’s energy bills. The party has also pushed for greater support for community energy projects, such as through large energy suppliers working with them to sell their power to local customers.

The Liberal Democrats therefore tabled an amendment to the Great British Energy Bill, which was not put to a vote, calling for a focus on advancing clean energy schemes owned (or partly owned) by community organisations. Victoria strongly supports this amendment.

Speaking on the Great British Energy Bill, Victoria Collins MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, said:

“Whilst I welcome many of the changes this Bill would make, including steps to restore British investment in clean energy, it must make sure to support community energy projects that play a vital role in reducing energy bills and reducing our impact on the environment.

“Liberal Democrats are clear that we need strong action to combat the climate crisis and soaring energy bills through supporting clean energy, and community energy projects like those here in Harpenden and Berkhamsted are hugely important in this.

“Such projects need greater support, which is why I called on the government to provide this. We must ensure they can access reliable, secure and sufficient funding to roll out clean energy schemes, and the commercial and legal advice key to establishing new ones.

“The government must do more to support community energy projects, which hold the power to help achieve better, cleaner and cheaper energy.”