Oxshott and Stoke d'Abernon Survey
If you were looking for more information on Oxshott, Stoke d'Abernon and Cobham Fairmile you can find it here. Click fo...
4 Jul 2018
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Lib Dem Leader lends support to Save Weston A & E Campaign
The campaign to protect Weston-super-Mare's Accident and Emergency unit and reinstate overnight services received a boost on the first anniversary of overnight closure this week.
3 Jul 2018
Labour's Blunder will cost a huge sum
Warrington's Development Management Committee has voted unanimously to turn down the Council's own planning application to place a Waste Transfer Station on highly congested and polluted Winwick Road, which is the principal northern gateway into the town. This reversed a decision by the Executive Board, the Council's cabinet, to place the facility there.
AR
3 Jul 2018
Government leaving Lake District farmers in the dark over stewardship agreements – MP
South Lakes MP Tim Farron has criticised the Government for refusing to commit to extending high-level stewardship and entry-level stewardship agreements for some farmers beyond next year.
3 Jul 2018
U.S. Cities go Renewable - article from Summer 2018 Challenge Magazine
More than 70 US cities have adopted a 100 percent renewable electricity goal. That number has doubled over the last twelve months, courtesy of Donald Trump's determination to steer the nation in the opposite direct. Among the latest cities to sign up is one in the deep red south. Atlanta, Georgia has a population of 490,000 and is the largest city in the South. It hasn't set itself the most demanding of targets - the 2050 deadline is fifteen years further away than the politicians wanted - but the path they have chosen is for a homegrown energy transformation rather than relying on out of state wind power.
3 Jul 2018
Chair's Briefing in Summer 2018 Challenge Magazine
We've been busier than usual here at the Green Liberal Democrats, and this copy of Challenge is testament to all that hard work.
3 Jul 2018
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, called on the government to provide incentives for energy providers to develop solar power in the UK.
Mrs Hobhouse slammed the government for falling behind on meeting the UK’s renewable targets for solar energy capacity. The government plans to deploy 70 GW of solar power across the country by 2035. However, as of 2022, the UK had only installed 14.3 GW of solar pv.
Following a visit to a rooftop solar system installed by Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) at Beechen Cliff School last year, Wera Hobhouse is keen to encourage the development of similar solar projects across Bath. The solar system is predicted to significantly cut the school’s fuel costs and reduce their carbon emissions by 52 tonnes a year.
In the House of Commons on the 27th February, the Bath MP noted that the UK is lagging behind the rest of the world in renewable energy investment, she urged the government to offer incentives to energy providers to improve solar capacity.
However, Andrew Bowie, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, ignored Hobhouse’s proposals, failing to describe the ways in which the government could incentivise solar energy. Instead, Bowie said that the government’s Solar Taskforce would publish recommendations for solar power and reiterated the government’s target to deploy 70 GW by 2035.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, commented:
“The Conservatives are falling dangerously behind on meeting our targets for renewable energy production. It is no good the government setting an ambitious 70 GW solar target if they are nowhere near reaching it.
“It is clear that they have no plan to get us back on track to reach Net Zero. Evidently, they are more than happy to dismiss perfectly good proposals like incentivising solar power. That is why I am so proud that Bath is home to many community energy projects like the solar system at Beechen Cliff School, so that we can lead the way in renewables.”
“It is not just our climate targets harmed by the Conservatives’ delay. Families in Bath and across the country are struggling to pay soaring energy bills which investment in renewables could curb. That is why we Liberal Democrats would build significantly more renewable energy, aiming to generate 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.”
Peter Capener, Managing Director of Bath & West Community Energy said:
“Our work with schools is really demonstrating the value of community energy in both addressing the climate crisis and reducing fuel bills. Rooftop solar installed last year has already saved local schools a combined total of £134,209 and has reduced carbon emissions by 224.3 tonnes, which is equivalent to 12,173 journeys from Bath to Edinburgh by train!”
