Agenda item

Members gave consideration to a report of the Green Oldham Lead which provided an update on the Generation Oldham community energy programme, including the Interreg Europe COALESCCE project.

Members were reminded that the Generation Oldham programme was the Council’s community energy programme, which had been launched in autumn 2014.

In 2016, Oldham Community Power was established, a Community Benefit Society led by three volunteer directors from the community and with a representative from the Council on the Board. Over the summer of 2016, Oldham Community Power installed 220kW of solar PV on the roofs of five schools and a community centre. The majority of the Society was owned by residents and local organisations such as Action Together, with the Council holding a minority shareholding of £100,000. Under the rules of the Community Benefit Society, each Member held only one vote at the Annual General Meeting, so no large shareholders could unduly influence the

direction of the Society. Members were informed that scoping was currently underway to establish what Phase 2 of the solar PV installation scheme may look like.

In January 2018, the Generation Oldham programme was augmented by the Interreg Europe funded COALESCCE project. COALESCCE stood for Community Owned And Led Energy for Security, Climate Change and Employment, and the project aimed to build the community energy sector in Greater Manchester and seven other partner EU regions – in Germany, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. Oldham Council was the Lead

Partner for the project, the concept for which came out of the Generation Oldham programme.

The Board noted Oldham Council had won the national Community Energy Local Authority Award in 2018 for its support for community energy locally, nationally and internationally.

Members asked for and received clarification on the following:

Effect of Brexit on the partnership – Brexit may lead to energy price rises. OCP provided the schools with a 20% discount on grid prices, so the schools would still be making savings.

Were the savings in paragraph 1.7 per year – they were made collectively over the last few years.

Were the problems referred to in paragraph 1.5 ongoing – the problem had been with a wrong meter. It was now resolved but had taken two years and MP involvement.  

The offer for small community groups – the directors of OCP were volunteers and there was a lack of capacity. Additionally, installations had to be viable and the company would look for ways to help that to happen.

How Members could assist – OCP needed more volunteers and capacity. There would be events around the Green New Deal Strategy and the Leader had requested a Citizen’s Panel which would increase publicity.

RESOLVED that:

1.     The success of Oldham Community Power in consolidating its position after the Phase 1 installations be noted.

2.     The ongoing work to scope a potential Phase 2 of OCP’s scheme be noted.

3.     The success of the COALESCCE project in influencing Greater Manchester’s environmental strategy and delivery plan at the highest level be noted.

4.     A further report would be received after the Citizen’s Panel had been set up.