Climate Change Bill progress praised

LONDON

The Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill has received Royal Assent this week, in a move that has been welcomed by ministers and environmental organisations. The Private Member’s Bill is aiming to make it easier for homeowners to use microgeneration technologies – and sell unused power back to their supplier.

The Bill is expected to usher in widespread consumer-based production of clean energy, and remove many of the barriers that currently exist for microgeneration.

"The ability to produce clean, green energy from homes or businesses can help to lessen our carbon emissions and bring down fuel bills,” said Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks, announcing the Bill onto the statute books during the Renewable Energy Association’s annual conference. "We, as individuals, must make a contribution to the fight against climate change, as we can't just expect big institutions or governments to solve the problem for us, we all have to make a difference.”

Mark Lazarowicz MP, promoter of the Bill, said; “It is clear, from the thousands of people who have contacted me during the course of this Bill, that this technology has captured the public's interest. It is now up to industry, local authorities and central government to respond to the public demand”.

“Microgeneration is about people power – it has been put on the map by people power,” added Ron Bailey, Partnership Organiser of the Sustainable Energy Partnership. “Those people are now keen to see the next steps: a national decentralized energy strategy that renders old style power stations gushing out CO2 obsolete. They will not rest until that is achieved.”