We seek to ensure that energy issues are addressed in key regional strategies and action plans, and are fully reflected in the work of Local Authorities, agencies, businesses and other stakeholders. To achieve this, we work closely with our partners the North West Development Agency and the North West Regional Assembly, as well as other national, regional and local bodies, including the NW Energy Council, the Environment Agency, the Energy Saving Trust, the Carbon Trust and the NW Domestic Energy Alliance.
The Energy Challenge
Energy is fundamental to our way of life. With significant demand in the manufacturing, transport and domestic sectors, the North West is a major producer and consumer of all forms of energy. This includes a strong interest in the nuclear sector. However, the damage to the environment caused by carbon emissions, and the diminishing domestic supplies of oil and gas, represent major long-term challenges. Furthermore, demand for energy is continuing to grow, both in the UK and internationally, so there is increasing competition for the resources available. It is therefore vital that we ensure a supply of secure clean energy at affordable prices, while at the same time tackling climate change.
National policy was set out in the Energy White Paper 2003, with four main objectives:
- To put ourselves on a path to cut the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050, with real progress by 2020
- To maintain the reliability of energy supplies
- To promote competitive markets in the UK and beyond
- To ensure that every home is adequately and affordably heated
These objectives were endorsed in the Energy White Paper 2007, the legislative aspects of which will be implemented in the Energy Bill 2007-2008, which will include measures on energy infrastructure, new technologies and renewable energy. At the same time, the EU is also proposing a package of new measures, to be legally binding in the UK, with targets on reducing carbon emissions and supplying energy from renewable sources.
The Regional Response
The North West Sustainable Energy Strategy was published by the NWRA in 2006, to reduce the region’s energy wastage, improve efficiency, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and facilitate the transition to more sustainable forms of energy. This includes the target of providing at least 10% of the region’s electricity from renewable sources by 2010. The Strategy’s Implementation Plan has been combined with the NWDA’s Climate Change Action Plan, published in November 2006, to ensure a fully coordinated regional response to the challenges faced. This Action Plan contains 27 separate commitments, including energy-related actions such as promoting microgeneration, supporting R&D, and developing regional supply chains. Development plans for West Cumbria also explore the future for the North West’s nuclear sector.
The North West’s long-term planning framework, set out in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy, will also include measures on energy efficiency, renewable energy and on-site generation. The final agreed RSS will be adopted in 2008.
