In May we wrote that the affordable housing scheme had received full planning approval. We now have some more good news- the MCLT Energy Group has received a grant from the Rural Community Energy Fund to commission a Feasibility Study.
The first meeting between the Energy Group and the consultants who will carry out the feasibility study took place in the first week of June.
What will the grant cover?
The grant will explore whether a community owned, renewable electricity generating installation, can be made to work in Marshfield. This is an important first step to assess what sort of project could be viable and deliver community benefits.
The study will explore issues such as:
Connection to the Grid
The likelihood of securing planning on the right piece of land
Is it possible to earn enough from the sale of electricity to cover costs and possibly have a surplus for the community.
What happens after the feasibility study has reported in September 2021?
If the study suggests a community owned electricity generating project is possible, further work will be needed in areas such as: Planning, developing a full Business Case, securing the Land, selecting Operators and Managers, attracting Investors, appointing Contractors, negotiating the Sale of Electricity, and confirming a viable financial model.
But the point of the feasibility study is to see if such a project is feasible so we must await its findings before assuming anything.
We are very pleased to get the feasibility study underway and it feels like a positive step that we hope will contribute to Marshfield moving towards net Zero Carbon, and becoming a Sustainable Village!
Join the MCLT Energy Group
We are keen for others to join the Energy Group and help take this project into the future so please get in touch with Jim Brookes if you are interested: jim.brookes@marshfieldclt.org
Christine Eden (chair: christine.eden@marhsfieldclt.org); Oliver Shirley; Simon Turner; Vicky Williams; Ian Jones; Ian Dawes; Jim Brookes; Ros Snow