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Campaign success: Customers for a Renewable Energy Tariff

The MEA and the Energy Policy Working Group have announced that they are now seriously considering a 10 - 20MW wind farm on the Isle of Man.

Thank you to everyone who has so far taken part in this campaign, which has helped provide the evidence that wind energy is something that those living on the Isle of Man support.

This announcement is the result of a concerted effort made by FoE, journalists, and MHKs working behind the scenes to convince the MEA of the importance of wind power.

To read the MEA's report into the viability of wind generation - click here
To read the Isle of Man Government's announcement - click here

If you haven't yet signed up for this campaign - please do - the more evidence of consumer support we can provide to the MEA the better. See below.

We are currently running a postcard campaign asking the Manx Electricity Authority to generate electricity from renewable energy, and to develop a Renewable Energy Tariff.

(To see Tynwald's comprehensive and admirable Energy Policy, adopted in October 2006, please scroll down to the second half of this page.)

You can support the campaign in two ways.
Firstly - and preferably - you could simply copy and paste the text below into an e-mail and send it to our web co-ordinator, Ian Costain: IanCostain@manx.net
Secondly, you could print off a copy of the postcard (shown below the text) - fill it in - and send it back to us to collect and present to the MEA. If you choose this option please address you envelope to: Phil Corlett, IoM FoE, Green Centre, Chester Street, Douglas, Isle of Man.

To return to our Campaigns page - click here

To Listen Again to ffinlo Costain's recent Perspective on Energy Security, featuring an interview with the MEA Chair - click here to visit ffinlo's site
Renewable Energy Tariff campaign

MEA Postcard

Copy & paste text:
Dear MEA,

As an electricity customer on the Isle of Man I'm concerned that I'm contributing to climate change because almost all of our electricity is produced from burning fossil fuels which produce CO2.

I'm also worried about what will happen to my electricity bill when Peak Oil arrives and oil and gas prices sky-rocket.

I would welcome an MEA decision to use wind, wave, tidal or other renewable power generating methods.

I'd like to register my support for an MEA Renewable Energy Tariff.

Please let me know as soon as you have a Renewable Energy Tariff - because I would like the opportunity to switch.

Yours sincerely,

Name:

Address:

E-mail address:

MEA Postcard front

MEA Postcard back


Tynwald Energy Policy - Adopted October 2006

10. Our Energy Policy

10.1 - We have no choice but to respond to the challenges facing us. We have to follow the principles of sustainable development and respect our Kyoto obligations by including environmental concerns in our approach to energy use, but we cannot ignore the fact that our society has been built on energy consumption and energy consumption will remain a key part of our quality of life for the foreseeable future. This then is our core energy policy: to maintain and build on the high quality of life enjoyed by the Island’s community by providing the energy needed to allow economic growth at a financial price that is affordable for all consumers and at an environmental cost that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

10.2 - To achieve this, Isle of Man Government will progress 3 main policy aims:-

Energy policy aim 1: to maintain the security of energy supply
Energy policy aim 2: to secure the efficient use of affordable energy
Energy policy aim 3: to minimise the impact of our energy use on the environment

Energy policy aim 1: maintaining the security of energy supply

This aim is designed to ensure that the Island has the reliable energy supplies that it needs to maintain our economy and improve our quality of life.  We aim to ensure that our supplies are diversified and distributed across the Island to help protect us against supply shortages, price rises and failures of the distribution. We will favour the use of energy supplies that reduce our reliability on energy imports.

Strategic actions:
  • We will encourage the provision of an economically viable supply of energy to meet the needs of all consumers.
  • We will encourage the diversification of energy supply.
  • We will encourage the connection of community or other small scale generation schemes to the energy distribution network.
  • We will, wherever possible, use local energy sources (e.g. biomass, solar, wind).
  • We will facilitate access for renewable energy generators to the electricity supply network where generator size and point of connection will not adversely affect the stability of the established network.
  • We will promote the opportunities for wind and tidal powered electricity generation to suitable developers where this would provide benefits to the Island.
  • We will investigate the opportunities for the use of low carbon or carbon neutral energy sources such as biofuels
Energy policy aim 2: securing the efficient use of affordable energy

This aim is designed to ensure that we respond to the consequence of the world’s declining supplies of hydrocarbon fuels.  We need to use energy wisely, not only to protect the resource but to reduce the cost to the consumer. We will target space heating and transport energy consumption through energy conservation measures and help those in our society who cannot afford the energy they need.

Strategic actions:

  • We will reduce the unit energy consumption of the Government estate over the next 5 years and publish our targets and achievements annually to demonstrate our commitment to these aims.
  • We will reduce the energy demand of space heating and cooling in the domestic and commercial sectors by the application of planning policies and revised building regulation controls.
  • We will provide community energy schemes in new public sector housing developments where this is beneficial and encourage private developers to adopt such schemes.
  • We will reduce the unit energy consumption and carbon emissions of the public sector housing estate over the next 5 years and publish our targets and achievements annually to demonstrate our commitment to these aims.
  • We will reduce the unit energy consumption of the transportation sector through measures designed to increase transportation efficiency, to reduce vehicle emissions and to promote public transport.
  • We will reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of the government fleet over the next 5 years and publish our targets and achievements annually to demonstrate our commitment to these aims.
  • We will maximise the efficiency of the energy delivery system.
  • We will protect vulnerable energy users.
  • We will address fuel poverty by providing financial support for energy efficiency measures and investigate other options.
  • We will provide an advisory service to promote energy conservation.
  • We will provide financial support to encourage energy conservation and the use of high efficiency and low carbon energy technologies.
  • We will encourage the improvement of thermal efficiency in pre-2001 construction private, domestic and commercial properties through education, advice and financial support schemes.
Energy policy aim 3: minimising the impact of our energy use on the environment

This aim is designed to ensure that we understand how our use of energy is changing our local and global environment and that we act now to limit these impacts and protect our environment for the benefit of future generations.

Strategic actions:

  • We will monitor the impacts of climate change and investigate those adaptations that will support our energy policies.
  • We will support recycling initiatives that contribute to overall reductions in energy consumption.
  • We will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of each unit of grid supplied electricity and publish our achievements every 5 years.
  • We will review energy supply legislation to reflect the 3 aims of this policy.
  • We will pursue the long-term aim of reducing fossil fuel consumption to the minimum level that does not harm our community’s quality of life.
  • We will apply this Isle of Man Government energy policy to all government decisions involving the use of energy ensuring that all future policy and capital development proposals state how they reflect this energy policy.
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