Call for focus on new ways to generate electricity

As Dundee Labour's Environment spokesperson on Dundee City Council I have called for the City Council to look for new ways to promote renewable electricity generation in the city. This came as the council's Policy and Resources Committee debated problems caused to plans for photovoltaics on council property due to changes in the feed-in tariff from the UK Government.



I welcome the report which was put before the committee on Monday evening which highlighted that the proposed scheme cannot go forward as a result of changes made to the feed-in tariff by the UK Government. I supported the proposals when they were first brought forward and I am very disappointed that the UK Government has made this pre-emptive strike against the scheme. The council is right to make its voice heard to the UK Government calling for a re-think of the policy. I accept that changes made by the Conservative-led UK Government make it difficult for this scheme to continue. However, we have missed out by being slightly late in the game and we need to ensure that this does not happen in the future. We need to look for new ways to maximise green renewable energy generation in the Dundee. We should not just sit back and heckle from the sidelines though; we should be calling on officers of the council to continue to look for innovative, cost-effective schemes which would encourage renewable electricity generation in our city. This would be for the benefit of all the people of Dundee, as it could deal with fuel poverty and cutting the city's carbon footprint.



I am pleased that the Administration saw sense tonight and accepted my amendment. This is a common sense way forward. This is what I was looking for and is a means of allowing me and my colleagues to put the interests of the city first, before any minor party consideration.

Labour in the House of Commons has been campaigning against the plans for changes to the feed-in tariff.