Issue - meetings

A report looking to authorise the appointment of Ovo Energy to supply a Power Purchase Agreement for Wrigley Head Solar Farm for a period of 18months from start of operations.

The Scrutiny Board considered a report of the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive that sought authority to appoint Ovo Energy to supply a Power Purchase Agreement for Wrigley Head Solar Farm, for a period of 18 months from start of operations, at an estimated value of £188,500. This appointment, if approved, would be made by direct award with an exemption from the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules due to the urgent need to energise the solar farm.

The report considered two Options:

Option 1 (preferred Option) – To approve an exemption from the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules to appoint Ovo Energy via direct award to provide an 18-month Power Purchase Agreement for the electricity generated by Wrigley Head Solar Farm. Under this option, energisation of the solar farm would be likely achieved as soon as practicable and the Council would begin to benefit from revenue income from the sale of the electricity.

Option 2 – To not appoint Ovo Energy. Under this option the Council would run a competitive procurement process to identify the most economically advantageous supplier for a Power Purchase Agreement for the electricity generated by Wrigley Head Solar Farm. However, in the time taken to run this procurement process the solar farm would remain un-energised and would not be generating revenue for the Council.

In considering the report a Member raised concerns about the length of time that it was taking to progress this matter. The delays he noted were costing the Council revenue and he added that more could have been to progress this matter over the summer months. The Director of Growth undertook to write to members of the Scrutiny Board, outlining the progress relating to the implementation of the decision.

Resolved:

The Scrutiny Board requested that the recommendations in the report of the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive be approved, as follows:

1.  That an exemption from the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules be approved for the PPA contract award to Ovo Energy.
2. That Ovo Energy be awarded an 18-month Power Purchase Agreement for the electricity generated from Wrigley Head Solar Farm.
3. That the Director of Growth be requested to write to Memebrs of the Governance, Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Board explaining the reasons for the perceived delay in presenting the report for approval.