The Power to Transform the South West THE Future of Renewable Energy in Wiltshire was the subject of an inspirational meeting at Trowbridge Town Hall on Thursday last. There was a capacity audience of interested people with a strong commitment to renewables.

Molly Scott Cato, Green Party MEP and economist, stressed the need to invest in renewable energy rather than fossil fuels before climate change reaches the point of no return – and the economic advantages of so doing. She emphasised the influence of the City and market forces on Government policy, currently in favour of the expensive, inefficient and destructive operations that fracking and new nuclear would deliver. Subsidy has been removed from solar power and the feed-in tariff massively reduced: no incentive to installing solar panels. Wind farms no longer receive Government backing and are cancelled at the least protest from residents – even a wind farm nine miles out to sea and barely visible. The Green Party seeks to maintain the pressure on Government to reverse these unnecessary and potentially disastrous decisions.

Juliet Davenport, CEO of Good Energy, gave us a passionate account of how she started GE, of its success and future development plans. GE electricity is now 100 per cent renewably sourced.

Julian Jones of Water 21 provided fascinating information on the history of hydropower, its past role in power generation by small scale river turbines and the huge possibilities it holds for the future, given political will.

This was a Green Party initiative to demonstrate that the South West’s energy needs can be served sustainably and safely without the need for nuclear power or fracked gas and oil.

Susan Coppard, Chippenham Green Party