ECO CENTRE SECURES £100K FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS

A unique project supporting the development of community renewable energy projects has got a new lease of life after securing £100,000  of European funding.

'Energy for Tomorrow' is a project run by the West Wales ECO Centre to promote the development of commercially sized, community owned renewable energy installations.  The additional funding will allow it to build on the momemtum it has generated over the last two years. Successful projects include: a privately owned Wind Turbine near Milford Haven generating and supplying electricity to a local housing estate; a farmer owned cooperative developing markets for and supply of energy crops and biomass energy; helping St David's become the first carbon neutral city in the UK.

'This is very good news for us and for Wales' said Pete West, the project manager. There is very little investment in community level activity for renewable energy at the moment. But there appears to be a growing commitment to the benefits of establishing social enterprises like the ones we have been involved with. This funding support from Europe is crucial. We hope to convince the Welsh Assembly Government to provide direct support for this sort of project in the near future.'

Rhodri Morgan did attend a meeting at the ECO Centre where he saw some of the potential of helping this sector to develop.  There are full reports of the projects so far in the 'Energy for Tomorrow' section of this website. 

For more details contact Pete West at the West Wales ECO Centre.