Focus on Carmarthenshire at national energy conference

Carmarthenshire County Council’s efforts to deliver community energy projects has been hailed inspirational as part of a UK conference hosted by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Edward Davey MP.
Councils and public sector organisations from around the UK attended the Powering Up conference, run jointly by The Department of Energy and Climate Change and the OxFutures initiative.
The council’s Sustainable Development Manager, Kendal Davies – part of the Property Services department - was a guest speaker at the event, and spoke about the efforts Carmarthenshire is making to deliver energy efficiency measures, as well as the challenges we face.
He said: “One of the obstacles to developing community schemes is the cost of seeking planning permission and the unpredictability of the outcome. To help overcome this, we employ a dedicated renewable energy development officer as part of our planning service, and also provide a free pre-application advice service.
“Finance is another obstacle, and whilst grant funding can be a blessing it often doesn’t offer a sustainable solution. However, the multi-agencyCarmarthenshire Environment Partnership provides small pots of funding to support local communities to deliver projects.”
Such funding has helped to establish Carmarthenshire Energy Limited (CEL) - a social enterprise established by a group of committed individuals, which now has a portfolio of four key projects harnessing hydro and wind energy.
Another project, and one highlighted at the conference, is the Egni solar cooperative that has installed 200 50kWp solar PV panels at Ysgol y Bedol in Garnant, providing a source of clean energy, reduced bills and an opportunity for children to learn about climate change and sustainability.
It is the first such solar cooperative in Wales and has been nominated for a Wales Green Energy Award.
Cllr Pam Palmer, Executive Board Member with responsibility for sustainability, said: “We’ve learned a lot in the last few years, and have come a long way in terms of development. In looking for solutions, one avenue we’ve began to explore is the development of opportunities for community schemes on council-owned assets.
“We realise we still have a lot of learning to do, but being given a platform at a national conference, at this level, is an achievement of which we are very proud.”
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