Powerful showing at Energy Bill Second Reading: 15 MPs speak in support of community energy

Last month, the Energy Bill had its first House of Commons debate. This is a proposed new law from the Government that, because of our efforts, now contains the legislative wording we are calling for to enable growth in community renewable energy. 

At the debate, called ‘Second Reading’, 15 MPs from all parties, and many of them Conservatives, spoke in favour of the community energy-enabling clauses 272 and 273. This was a remarkable achievement that meant that our campaign ask was the most featured at the debate by a large margin. If you wrote to your MP asking them to attend and speak, thank you.

Clauses 272 and 273 are based on the Local Electricity Bill and would permit community schemes to sell their clean power locally. 

David Johnston MP, lead sponsor of the Local Electricity Bill, aptly said: “We have not made enough of community energy and its potential.” He then called on the Government to back the new legislation that would help community energy schemes flourish.

Despite this strong show of support, the Energy Minister Andrew Bowie has now tabled amendments to remove clauses 272 and 273. We need your help to convince him that they are vital and must be kept in the Bill.

321 MPs now support the Bill, which is a voting majority in the Commons. The progress we have made this year already is remarkable and shows how our collective persistence has moved this campaign forward. But the clauses enabling community energy are still under threat.

Messages from supportive MPs to Mr Bowie now could make the difference between community energy continuing to struggle or the Government finally making the legislative change needed for it to flourish.

Together we can transform things.