Following the Government’s decision to lift the ban on onshore wind, Ecotricity chief Dale Vince has launched a big new push to sign up landowners to deliver energy independence, public ownership and 100% green electricity to all 628,000 people living in Gloucestershire.
An analysis of land across the county has revealed that Gloucestershire can accommodate some 100 4MW windmills which could generate 1,200 GWh – enough to meet the electricity needs of all the county’s homes. Back in 2019, Mr Vince first announced plans for 100 windmills to power homes in the county but the Conservative’s de facto ban on onshore wind made this impossible.
Gloucestershire could lead the way and become a model for other counties to help the Government achieve its ambition of doubling onshore wind and trebling solar by 2030.
Mr Vince is proposing a public ownership model through the local authorities. This model could add an additional £7 million a year to county council coffers. The plan could become a blueprint for a national roll out of publicly owned renewable energy – which is exactly what the government’s Great British Energy (GBE) was set up to do.
Ecotricity has now launched an ad campaign reaching out to landowners interested in leasing their land for renewable projects. The windmills would provide a stable revenue stream while helping to save the planet. Ecotricity has already written to 60 plus landowners in Gloucestershire and work is ongoing to identify new landowners with potentially another 100 in the pipeline.
Mr Vince, Green industrialist and founder of Ecotricity said: “100 windmills could power Gloucestershire with 100% green electricity which could be owned by the public.
“That’s our ambition – to make Gloucestershire energy independent and to literally hand power over to the people. Gloucestershire is a huge untapped resource – it could lead the way. We can create new jobs, help farmers, and power the entire county all while fighting the climate crisis.
“But it’s much bigger than that – this blueprint could be replicated across the country in conjunction with Great British Energy and local authorities. It would mean everyone benefits from meeting the 100% target for renewables.
“These are exactly the sort of projects the public sector should be funding – it’s a fantastic opportunity to make our country energy independent, lowering household bills forever.”
