Campaigners thank Bedford MP for backing community renewable energy

Campaign group, Power for People, has thanked the Bedford MP for backing new market rules for community renewable energy at a debate in Parliament.

Last week Mohammad Yasin, MP for Bedford, participated in the debate on new rules to enable clean community energy generation.

Mohammad Yasin underlined his support for a proposed law, the Local Electricity Bill, which would create a 'Right to Local Supply’, stressing the need to give “power to the people by allowing local communities to have much greater control over the energy that brings them to life”.

Mr Yasin concluded: “Although the Government talk the talk on such initiatives, they are not walking the walk. We need urgent and early action, not words.”

The Local Electricity Bill discussed by Mr Yasin would empower community owned energy companies to sell locally generated electricity directly to local households and businesses and would improve competition, create skilled jobs and reduce customers’ utility bills, whilst helping to accelerate the construction of new clean energy infrastructure.

Currently customers can only purchase electricity from nationally licensed utilities.

Power for People, organisers of the campaign behind the proposal, say this means money that people pay their energy bills with is not helping to strengthen local economies and build local clean energy infrastructure.

A cross-party group of 258 MPs backs the initiative.

Mohammad Yasin, MP for Bedford, said: “A Right to Local Supply will empower and enable new community energy companies to sell energy that they generate directly to local people which will accelerate our transition to clean energy and help strengthen local economies.

"The Local Electricity Bill would enshrine a Right to Local Supply in law and I will do all I can to ensure it succeeds.”

70 local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales also support it together with 75 national organisations, including Community Energy England, Community Energy Scotland, Community Energy Wales, WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the RSPB.

Power for People’s Director, Steve Shaw, said: “We thank Mohammad Yasin for supporting the Local Electricity Bill and for underlining the huge potential of community energy.

"If made law, the Bill would unblock the barriers facing the development of community-owned clean energy infrastructure, boosting local skilled jobs and economic activity in the communities of Bedford and beyond. We call on the government to support it.”