Adam Twine, the green entrepreneur behind wind and solar co-operatives at Westmill Farm, has expressed his dismay at MPs who wrote to David Cameron challenging the subsidy afforded to wind energy.
Twine labelled the 100 conservative MPs as “extremely short-sighted”, explaining that if the UK is to address the climate change problem it should embrace the much mooted ‘Big Society’ and encourage communities, not industrial lobbyists, to exert their influence over energy production and demand. Twine explained: “There is no reason I can see why local businesses don’t generate and purchase local energy to express their social and environmental commitment.”
Twine continued by drawing comparisons with Germany, the world’s first major renewable energy market. “As an island with so many natural energy resources, the UK could dwarf Germany’s endeavours; onshore wind and solar builds resilience into communities, offshore wind, wave and tidal energy will do the rest,” he continued.
The imminent launch of a share issue for Twine’s Westmill Solar Coop will provide the opportunity to offer the local community the chance to empower themselves by taking ownership of the newly-built 5MW solar farm. Twine argues that excessive cuts to the feed-in tariff have robbed other communities the opportunity to empower themselves in the same way.
“Under this Government there is a real danger that the COAL, in COALition, and the UK, in nUKe, represents the energy ambitions that will drive this country.
“Unless we see a significant change in direction, all of the evidence suggests that this is the dark future we’re leaving to our children. Community-owned renewable energy is a viable alternative that should be recognised and embraced today,” Twine concluded.
