Lincolnshire County Council considers setting up its own energy company to protect future supply

Lincolnshire County Council is considering creating an energy company in a bid to take back control over the supply.

Members of the authority’s Environment and Economy Scrutiny have been given an update on a strategy being put together by a series of Greater Lincolnshire partners.

The aim will be to put together a series of business cases to put to Central Government in a bid to solve energy problems across the area.

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Councillors were told that in the future partners would have to consider whether to rely on the national power grid for the county, or bid to provide their own energy.

Following the meeting, economy executive councillor Colin Davie said: “It’s about taking back some control. If we just sit here and wait for someone else to solve the problem it won’t get solved.”

However, he was dubious as to whether the council, or its partners would create their own energy business, or invest in being a holding company.

During the meeting, councillors were told that future supplies needed to be a mix of different sources (solar, water, biofuel etc) and better ways to manage them.

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Councillor Davie warned that green energy was “not cheap”, and would see prices increase as between £7-9 billion of Government subsidies ran out.

He said the cost of replacing renewable energy had “not been properly thought through” with some onshore wind turbines now coming to the end of their life and due to be replaced.

He told members that new turbines are taller (400ft rather than 150ft) and need community support, adding: “Nobody is going to want a 400ft turbine in their back yard… It’s not going to happen… I don’t think anyone really thought this through long-term.”

Other options include looking at energy storage solutions, dealing with inefficiencies in green energy such as LED lights, and building solutions into business and development plans.

A member of the scrutiny committee will be joining the panel putting the strategy together.