A lively and well attended public meeting about Sustainable Crediton's Community Energy Project was held on 20 October. The main aims of the meeting were to report on progress with the feasibility study looking into the potential for the project and to listen to and discuss views on the project presented by the public.

Andrew Shadrake from Devon Association for Renewable Energy [DARE] explained that they have assessed the possibility for initial projects based on wind power and anaerobic digestion and ruled these technologies out at present. DARE is looking at the potential for solar photovoltaic panels [PV] on the large roofs of businesses, schools and community buildings as the best option to take the project forward. He explained how schools in Plymouth are already saving large amounts of money through buying cheap electricity generated on their roofs by a not-for-private-profit, community owned, co-operative company. He said there are great benefits from using electricity directly where it is generated.

Comments and questions received from the public before the meeting were written up on a flip chart and discussed at some length. A particular concern was the fact that the government's feed in tariff [FIT] payments feature in the viability of the many community energy projects throughout the country and that FITs are paid for through electricity bills. It was agreed that this is not a satisfactory system at all for people in fuel poverty. Members of the organising group were keen to use any profits from a community owned company to help with reduction of bills for the less well off.

The meeting split into three groups to discuss energy conservation, technical issues and how community energy companies work. Sustainable Crediton Energy and Core Groups will consider all the issues raised. At the end of the meeting there was a show of hands which indicated unanimous support for continuing with the project.

All the discussion was enhanced by some excellent refreshments and poems about Crediton and renewable energy from local poet Ian Beech!