Sadiq Khan has pledged to set up a not-for-profit organisation that would bring together community energy groups and commercial premises able to accommodate new solar developments.
If elected in May, the Labour-mayoral candidate has promised to establish ‘Energy for Londoners’ as part of his plans to become “the greenest Mayor London has ever had.”
As well as promoting a new solar strategy for making use of London’s roofs, public buildings and Transport for London premises, Khan has promised to put his weight behind community energy projects. In addition to providing advice and support to groups attempting to set up these projects, ‘Energy for Londoners’ would act as “a dating service” for those wanting to be part of a community energy project with commercial premises with space for solar panels.
The London hopeful made the announcement on a visit to the Islington Bunhill Energy Centre, where a new district heating system is being built to use heat from the Tube to warm over 1,000 homes.
“Energy for Londoners will bring a renewed focus to our drive to make London a cleaner, greener city. It will expand the use of solar across the city, and support communities who want to set up their own green energy generation schemes,” he said.
“All of this will help London reduce its carbon emissions and generate more of its own energy in a much cleaner way.”
Khan also outlined some the other roles ‘Energy for Londoners’ would fulfil, including working with local authorities and housing associations to increase energy efficiency measures and renewable energy generation in social housing.
This pledge comes during a period of budget tightening across these organisations, with councils experiencing severe budgetary cuts in recent years. Mayor Jules Pipe, chair of London Councils, claimed in September last year that £7 in every £10 of central government funding will have been removed from local government by the end of the decade.
He added that London was receiving the brunt of these cuts, with 44% cut from councils budgets since 2010, with the same again expected over the next four years.
Housing association are facing similar funding issues after George Osborne announced last year that social housing rents would be cut by 1% each year for four years from April 2016.
It is unclear if the support offered by ‘Energy for Londoners’ would be financial.
However, Khan did claim that the new organisation would issue Green Bonds and explore the use of debt-based instruments such as ISAs to invest in green projects across the city.
Meanwhile, conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith has added to his green policy after announcing he would create an integrated electric charging network for London. Goldsmith also pledged to deliver a “Boris Bike equivalent for electric cars” through a point to point electric car sharing model which would allow consumers to hire an electric car in one part of London and drop it off in another.
“We need a ‘Boris bike’ equivalent for green cars, and that means investing in a charging network fit for the 21st century. Transport for London plays a major role coordinating our road, rail, tube and bus network. Now it is time for it to take a much more interventionist role in delivering a charging network for London,” he said.
“I want Londoners in every borough to have access to cleaner and cheaper transport. Doing that is impossible unless the Mayor takes a much stronger role in delivering clean cars for Londoners.”
