Policy documents and consultations that CEE is considering making a response to are included below (listed in date order of responses required). Draft responses will be added to this page for member comments along with our final submissions. If you would like to input into any of our responses, please email us.
BEIS Select Committee
wants to hear your ideas about areas it should look into. Proposals for inquiries should outline briefly (200 words each questions in a web-form):
- the nature of the issue that the Committee should explore;
- why it deserves attention;
- how Government policy in this area could be developed or improved.
A selection of the proposals will be shortlisted for an opportunity to give a five minute 'pitch' to the Committee in person at a public evidence session in Westminster later this year.
Deadline for submissions Tuesday 31 March
CEE will be making a submission
Environmental Audit Committee Possible Future Enquiries call for evidence.
The Committee is keen to have input from stakeholders on proposed future inquiries.
The Committee has identified several topics which it may choose to focus on during the first year of this Parliament:
Energy efficiency of existing homes
Nature based solutions to climate change
Local authorities and net zero
Follow up on progress since 2018 Green Finance inquiry
Community energy
Biodiversity and ecosystem services
Sustainability of crop management
Carbon labelling
Short written submissions (ideally less than 3000 words) are invited to aid the Committee in prioritising its programme of work. These should be submitted by clicking on the button at the foot of this link.
Deadline for submissions 5pm on Thursday 9 April.
CEE will be making a submission
Subsidy for onshore wind and solar consultation
On Monday 2 March the government announced that after 4 years they would again offer Contracts for Difference subsidy for onshore wind and solar in the next 'Established Technologies' auction round that will happen in 2021. The scheme will also be altered to facilitate energy storage.
They have set out 'Tough new guidance for renewable energy developers to ensure local communities [are] given more effective voice and make sure they have a definitive say on developments that affect them'. This may be intended to reassure the anti-wind campaigners in the party that they will still have a say. But the consultation document includes very positive wording such as the following:
"we encourage developers and operators to consider the following when engaging with local communities:
• providing community benefits consistent with relevant guidance and good practice principles, including providing an opportunity for communities or local people to invest in the project, with this opportunity additional to a community benefit fund;..."
Delivering net zero will require a fundamental change in how we produce and consume energy. Achieving this ambitious goal will require proactive and increased engagement with local communities across the UK to ensure that the local impacts and benefits of energy developments are proportionate, measured and reflective of the local environmental and economic context. [p16]
Delivering net zero will require change across the whole of society, and we therefore think it is more important than ever to engage with and support local communities in this transition. We want to see this work for the whole of the UK and will therefore work with the Scottish and Welsh Governments to share best practice and understanding of how best to ensure local communities are involved in nearby renewable energy developments.
The government is therefore considering the following:
- Updating the existing community benefits and engagement guidance for onshore wind, jointly with developers and local communities. We want to ensure local communities are appropriately involved in decision-making on such projects; and
- creating a register of renewable energy developments in England that lists available projects and community benefits. [p17]
Deadline for responses: 22 May 2020.
Community Energy England is intending to make a submission.