The Power to Choose

11th March 2000
For the first time ever, consumers are being given the Power to Choose new wind turbines built locally to provide 'green' electricity for their homes, and it won't cost them anymore than they pay their local conventional supplier.

A new environmental campaign called Empower is being launched on Wednesday 15th March 2000, with the aim of achieving 10% of the UK's electricity needs from natural sources like the wind, the sun and water, by 2005.

Empower is about stopping further environmental damage like global warming caused by the emission of greenhouse gases such as CO2. The conventional electricity industry in the UK accounts for around 30% of total CO2 emissions! Empower's message to consumers is loud and clear - you don't have to accept conventional, polluting electricity, you can now choose 'green', and you won't have to pay anymore than you're paying your conventional supplier.

Empower gives the power back to the people, enabling local people to have a say in how their village, town or city produces its electricity now and for future generations.

Residents will be given the opportunity to vote YES or NO to local 'green' power on a 'reply card' which will be passed to local planners. In response to public demand Empower will build new local wind turbines to generate Ecotricity to power peoples' homes.

The campaign is being phased in across the UK, beginning with Gloucestershire, and has already been given the 'thumbs-up' by Helen Liddell, Minister for Energy, who recently announced the Government's new and renewable energy strategy, saying, "This kind of initiative will help to build a strong renewables industry by increasing the use of 'green' energy by households. It will also help to protect our environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions."