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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT BY DEPUTY M. TADIER OF ST. BRELADE
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2017
Question
What progress, if any, has been made in terms of developing a renewable energy strategy in Jersey? Have any targets been set in respect of renewable energy; if not, why not; and, if so, how likely is it that such targets will be met?
Answer
Pathway 2015: An Energy Plan for Jersey, agreed by the States Assembly in May 2014, outlines a goal of sustainable, affordable and secure energy for the Island. Chapter 4 outlines our actions around renewable energy both at the Micro (or domestic/household level) or the utility scale which includes commercial/community scale or utility scale generation (e.g. marine energy such as wind or tidal power or onshore power from our Energy from Waste plant).
My Department continues to develop policies in accordance with the workstreams set out in the Energy Plan to encourage the uptake of renewable energy. Recent examples include the new building bye-laws which help to drive renewable energy solutions in new domestic builds or those undergoing significant refurbishment. The General Development Order now exempts from permission even larger areas of roof coverage by photovoltaic (PV) panels. I am heartened to see the prices dropping for renewable energy solutions such as air source heat pumps or PV or solar thermal panels. As the costs of renewables come even closer to that from conventional power sources such as oil and gas heating, people will continue to make renewable choices for their homes and businesses for both sustainability and economic reasons.
The States of Jersey have incorporated renewable solutions into its own portfolio of buildings. For example St Martin's primary school incorporates heat pumps and PV panels alongside many other sustainable building solutions like rainwater catchment. The energy performance of the School is being constantly monitored and its operating parameters continue to be improved.
The States of Jersey continues to work on putting in place the legislative and spatial planning framework to enable utility scale marine renewable energy. Whilst any project would be considered on its own particular merit after extensive review and scrutiny, Jersey's waters hold potential for offshore wind projects as well as ultimately tidal stream technology as this reaches the commercial stage. The gift of the seabed from the Queen into the Island's ownership has been helpful in forwarding progress in this area.
Although I have described many areas of progress, currently the Energy Plan does not set renewable energy targets for the first period of the plan to 2020. Instead it concentrates in its' first 5 years on decreasing all forms of energy use to reduce emissions and improve overall energy security and affordability. However, the progress of the Plan is monitored by the Energy Partnership and the first full review of the Energy Plan is due in 2020. If it is thought appropriate and helpful there is the potential to propose renewable energy targets at this point alongside our ongoing work.