Ecotricity – Rethinking the Energy Industry
Ecotricity is an energy company pioneering in creating renewable energy infrastructure. Although inspiring, is it the future of the power industry?
Britain’s First Green Energy Company
Ecotricity launched 28 years ago in 1995. They introduced the global green energy movement. The company aims to change the way electricity is used and generated in Britain, using renewable sources to combat climate change.
Currently, conventional electricity contributes to over 30% of Britain’s carbon emissions, and using renewable energy can help tackle this.
Pathing The Way
To create electricity, Ecotricity builds wind and solar farms that power homes and businesses across the nation. These hybrid energy farms combine sun and wind generation using a grid connection.
With 18,000 solar panels, they can power over 2,000 homes and reduce emissions by 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
Ecotricity uses gas made from carbon-neutralised natural gas and sustainable green gas.
Dale Vince, the founder of Ecotricity, believes hybrid energy parks are the future for energy within Britain, as the combination of the sun and wind are making a more renewable energy supply.
In recent years, they’ve started building green gas mills, with the goal of removing the need for fossil fuels in energy production.
An End to Shareholders
What’s more, Ecotricity does not have shareholders, meaning instead of paying dividends, they invest in building new forms of green energy.
Instead, they have one partner – Investors in the Environment – who focus on creating environmental action in businesses in the UK.
Climate & Ecology Bill
Ecotricity were the first energy supplier to demand the government address the climate crisis, through a campaign for the Climate & Ecology (CE) Bill. This bill aims to reverse the decline of the environment, together with the Environmental Act which hopes to see the end of destruction to the environment.
Unfortunately, the current Environmental Act only focuses on stopping destruction, rather than reversing the damage that’s already been done.
UK’s First Electric Airline
Ecotricity are launching their airline Ecojet in 2024 – a fleet of planes that have been retrofitted to run on electricity. On average, these will have an annual reduction of approximately 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Unfortunately, the retrofitting of the aircrafts will not commence until 2025, as Ecotricity attempts to speed up the transition to its hydrogen-electric-powered fleet.
Are Ecotricity The Way Forward?
It is yet to be determined whether Ecotricity is the way of the future, however it is certainly a step in the right direction. If other power providers can follow in the same steps, it would make a valuable difference to the environment and planet.
