On Friday 9th May Lord Whitty, the Minister for sustainable energy, Farming and Food at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs joined in celebrations with Worcestershire County Council to showcase their state-of-the-art woodfuel boiler installation at Worcestershire County Hall, and Ecoenergy's Ecoheat supply service. The event saw the launch of the West Midlands Wood Energy Strategy and the Marches Wood Energy Network, part of the strategy implementation network. Advantage West Midlands, the Countryside Agency, Government Office West Midlands and the Forestry Commission were all co-partners in producing the strategy.
Lord Whitty confirmed the Government's renewable energy ambitions, announced in the Energy White Paper earlier in the year, and stressed the importance of woods, forests and farmland in providing fuel for the developing bio-energy industry. He also encouraged partnership working at a strategic level to encourage the development of a diverse energy supply.
Documents
Wood for Energy: Energising the West Midlands for the 21st Century
(PDF: 588 KB / 6 pages)
The Forestry Commission, Advantage West Midlands and the Countryside Agency, with input from the Government Office for the West Midlands recently commissioned DTZ Pieda Consulting to advise on how best to develop a wood energy programme in the West Midlands that would: Stimulate urban & rural business growth & employment, Contribute to renewable energy targets, Promote sustainable woodland & countryside management.
