Ecotricity Lays Foundations for Big Green Power Plans
- targeting one million households -

28th April 2003

World leading green electricity company, Ecotricity, is starting work on the UK's tallest wind turbine this week in Norfolk as part of its ambitious strategy to supply one million homes with its groundbreaking new green electricity tariff. The tariff, which is available to households throughout the country, won't cost customers more than conventional electricity, because Ecotricity match local electricity supplier prices.

Reducing the threat of climate change by reducing the emissions created from conventional electricity production is Ecotricity's mission and it is the only licensed electricity company dedicated to building urgently needed new green energy capacity to replace conventional polluting sources of electricity.

Dale Vince, managing director of Ecotricity comments, "This new initiative is about giving people the opportunity to vote with their feet against polluting fossil fuels in favour of clean renewable energy. It is the dawn of a new era in terms of engaging with people in the fight against climate change for the good of the environment.

"We already have public backing for our wind projects such as the one at Swaffham and we're building new projects across the country to provide communities with a safe abundant local power source."

The first Ecotricity wind turbine at Swaffham was opened by the Minister of State for the Environment, Michael Meacher in September 1999 who spoke at length about the "awe-inspiring" turbine which he hoped to see replicated across the country.

The new 85 metre high, 1.8 megawatt Enercon turbine at Swaffham is also the first wind turbine to be built in response to public demand following the positive response to the first Ecotricity turbine built there. Local residents were eager to see the building of a second turbine to provide more green power locally driving the council to back the project. The new turbine will increase the amount of wind power in Norfolk by 30% and generate over 4 million units of green electricity each year - enough to power 1,258 local homes. The wind turbine will also prevent the emission of 3,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

Dale Vince continues, "Like the first Ecotricity turbine at Swaffham, the second turbine is equally groundbreaking not only in terms of technological advancement but also because people specifically asked us to build it."

Ends.