Oxfordshire County Council is investigating the prospect of buying a solar farm at an undisclosed location in the county that would help meet its own energy needs, reduce carbon footprint and provide a financial return for the taxpayer.
The council’s cabinet will be asked on Tuesday, 14 July to approve the progression to “due diligence” of the purchase of the farm. This will be discussed in closed session.
The details of the purchase and price must legally remain confidential until due diligence is complete at which point it would return to cabinet to be openly debated.
The move would be financed through borrowing. Income generated during the lifetime of the operation of the farm would cover the costs and provide additional revenue for services.
Although the solar farm would export electricity to the national grid rather than directly serving the local community, the associated planning permission requires the developer to provide community benefit funding. This is expected to support local community groups, education and related initiatives.
The scheme would generate approximately 52,000 MWh of renewable electricity per year, meaning a reduction in reliance on fossil-fuel based energy, supporting national as well as local decarbonisation targets. It would offset approximately 2,600 tonnes of CO2E by 2030 and between 25,000 and 36,000 tonnes over its operational life.
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Cllr Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for finance, property and transformation said: “This scheme would involve an up-front cost but it would be covered by the amount of money it would generate for the council while at the same time making a material contribution to our own future carbon management.
“This combination of support for the council’s climate objectives and the prospect of long-term financial returns is why we want to look further in to progressing the potential scheme. There would be future opportunities for the council and the taxpayer to avoid costs.”
Cllr Laura Gordon, cabinet member for environment and economy, said: “Oxfordshire County Council has set ambitious climate targets. This purchase would enable us to generate renewable energy exceeding our own expected usage and keep us on track to reach net zero by 2030.
“We are already seeing the effects of climate change in weather patterns and we need to explore all options to reduce emissions.”
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