Woking Borough Council

Woking Borough Council shows how local authorities can provide the leadership in community ownership.

Woking Energy Station

Its wholly owned energy and environmental service company, Thamesway, developed its own public/private joint venture energy services company known as Thamesway Energy Ltd (TEL). TEL aims to build, finance and operate small-scale combined heat and power stations (energy stations), of up to five megawatts electricity output, to provide energy services to institutional, business and residential customers.

The council raised capital to fund the initial energy infrastructure development through energy efficiency savings. A fund mechanism was established in a benchmark year for energy expenditure, against which savings accruing from energy efficiency measures were recycled, year on year, into further energy-saving initiatives.

Through this set-up, Woking has pioneered the development of a network of over 60 local generators, including photovoltaic arrays and a hydrogen fuel cell station, to power, heat and cool municipal buildings and social housing. Decentralising energy production in this way has enabled the council to reduce its CO2 emissions by 77 per cent since 1990.

Tags: energy, cities and towns