CEM Podcast Ep. 10.1 – Local Area Energy Plans

Local Area Energy Plans – a vision of the future for our city. Will we step into a renewable and more equal future with the tools available to us now, or bet the house on sweet promises from the same vested interests that got us into this mess?

Join Simon, Chloe and Lauren as they chew over the report from December Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee at Manchester City Council.

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In this episode:

  • Chloe introduces the Local Area Energy Plan or LAEP. [0:48]
    • A blueprint for energy options in a region or area.
  • An FYI from Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) but not clear what was being asked of the scrutiny committee. [3:12]
  • So what are we really talking about here?
    • How homes and buildings are heated
    • Electric Transport
    • Energy Generation
    • All wrapped up with some non-inclusive corporate lingo to really help Manchester residents understand what’s going on [03:27]
  • Different scenarios for the city [4:50)
    • Renewable energy generation and heat pumps
    • or hydrogen saves the day (National HYNET project), same infrastructure, same pipes, same vested interests.
    • If the national HYNET project can’t deliver low-emission hydrogen at scale in time to meet Manchester’s 2038 target, it’s not a viable solution. The hydrogen scenario also depends on greater emissions savings via home insulation in the short term than we’re currently seeing. [07:43]
  • EV (Electric Vehicle) infrastructure – see Ep 10.2 for more on this [11:10]
    • Projected uptake from fewer than 2,000 EVs today increasing to more than 140,000 by 2038. 72,000 domestic EV chargers will need to be installed at a cost of £40million.
  • When do we decide on which scenario to take? [12:06]
    • Who will decide hydrogen is not a viable solution and when will they make this call?
    • Why not choose now to insulate homes and install heat pumps?
  • Private landlords and the difficulty in incentivising them to retrofit the houses they own [17:00]
  • Your Home Better scheme from GMCA – for those people who are willing and able to pay. Who are they? [20:29]
  • Cllr Shilton-Godwin asked for an update on this in the new municipal year. Chloe pleas for a different format, perhaps with real people’s lives as examples. [21:18]

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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