FOI Request - Electricity Tariffs and Renewable Electricity Generation
Request 101003625871
I would like information about your council’s electricity sources in relation to climate action for the Council Climate Action Scorecards. This information may be held by an estates department or similar.
In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following questions:
1. Does the council have a 100% renewable green electricity tariff for all of the electricity that the council is directly responsible for, and is this tariff with Green Energy UK plc, Good Energy Limited or Ecotricity?
This includes all electricity that the council is directly responsible for, in council offices and any other buildings leased and managed by the council where the council pays the electricity tariff. This does not include homes owned or managed by the council. If unsure, please state your provider and tariff.
2. Does the council generate and use energy from waste? And if so, what percentage of the council’s total electricity use is powered by this/these energy from waste electricity sources?
3. Does the council buy directly from a local renewable electricity source or have its own renewable electricity sources? And if so, what percentage of the council's total electricity use is powered by this/these renewable electricity sources?
This includes council owned renewable electricity sources that are located outside of the council area, such as solar farms located further south to maximise energy generation.
Response 10-09-2024
1. No. The Council buys electricity through the Scottish Procurement Framework, the current supplier is EDF. EDF do offer a renewable tariff at an inflated rate, Moray Council do not use this rate. We are required to report our carbon emissions to SSN using UK government conversion factors. Therefore, using a ‘renewable’ tariff would not reduce our reported emissions. These rules are in place to prevent organisations relying on these types of tariffs to appear to be working to reduce emissions without implementing energy efficiency measures.
2. Moray Council does not. However, waste is supplied to the energy from waste plant in East Tullos. The plant there produces electricity that is fed to the grid and heat to the Torry Heat Network from waste from Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils.
3. Currently Moray Council does not by electricity from renewable energy sources through PPAs or otherwise. There are some rooftop Solar PV installations on council owned buildings these generate around 0.5% of the council’s total building electricity consumption.