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Make Stoke-on-Trent a self-sufficient in energy use

The problem

The idea

Imagine a depressed, socially disadvantaged area where 20,000 jobs in the region are dependent on manufacturing, and where the ceramics industry is strong, but vulnerable to fluctuating energy prices. To transform the future of the City, Stoke on Trent City Council is working to bring partners and the community together behind a vision to create a “Great Working City”. This vision creates several unique selling points. One of these is to become a city region which is self-sufficient in low carbon energy generation and thereby divorced from the vagaries of fossil fuel prices. This is an objective that deals with many of the issues facing towns and cities and their local authorities across the country.

Nationally the Government are reporting a country wide “energy gap”. Ofgem report that electricity prices could by 60% in the next 5 years, and National Grid advise that there could be blackouts in the same timeframe. We want to use the ability the Local Authority has as local leader, facilitator and asset owner to enable economic growth as the engine for the transformation of our City. The City supports a population of 240,000 living in 110,000 properties and is home to over 7,000 businesses. Partnership working has commenced involving the Carbon Trust, the Universities of Staffordshire and Keele, the Chamber of Commerce, specialist consultants and utility contributions from E.ON and Scottish Power. Our benchmarking work has established that, in order to achieve that goal of regional self-sufficiency, we need to replace 600 megawatts of power generation capacity.

We can all look at piecemeal initiatives to decrease energy use and develop one or two renewable energy projects, but what about considering a strategic approach to fuel security which optimises partnership working and creates a diversity of fuel sources and infrastructure?

What we need

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Stoke-on-Trent City Council