REPRESENTATIVES from Tamar Energy Community and Buckland Monachorum met with MP for West Devon and Torridge Geoffrey Cox recently, to warn him that the Government’s proposals to cut renewable energy subsidies by 87%, and impose a cap on the amount of clean energy that can be deployed, could devastate community energy projects and lead to the loss of jobs and investment in the local area.

The Feed-in Tariff (FIT) has been crucial in helping groups like the Tamar Energy Community to build a viable business model for its community renewable energy projects. The group is now one of more than 250 community energy groups in the South West that together have, to date, generated enough energy to power more than 2,300 typical homes.

Many of these projects are run entirely by volunteers, who have been working for years to raise finance and overcome complex policy barriers, but are now facing the prospect that theirs and future community energy schemes are no longer viable.

The Government has said that cuts in renewable energy subsidies are necessary to deliver value for money to the consumer. However, Tamar Energy Community has said that the average household will save only £6 per year on its energy bill by 2020/2021 as a direct result of the proposals — equivalent to 0.4% of the average £1,369 family dual fuel bill.

The group said that in return, the community renewable energy sector will be devastated and the benefits FIT brings in in terms of offsetting energy bills and generating a local revenue stream will disappear. It said the Government’s own Impact Assessment notes that jobs will also be lost.

Attempts were made by the group to also meet with the MP for South East Cornwall Sheryll Murray, but they have been unsuccessful.

Kate Royston, from Tamar Energy Community, said: ’We have been working hard over the last couple of years to establish the organisation and develop projects that can bring benefit to our communities across Tavistock and Callington.

‘The changes in FIT will put these projects in jeopardy at a critical time. It is because of the FIT that we would be able to generate community benefits, lower energy bills and greater energy independence for the local area.

’This will mean that more of the money we spend on or energy bills will stay in the local economy, rather than going into the coffers of one of the big six energy companies.

‘If the Government proceeds with these devastating cuts, the opportunity for other communities to achieve this for their area will be lost forever.’

The group members expressed thanks to Geoffrey Cox for giving up his time to meet with them.