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GUERNSEY Electricity fully supports the aims of the Energy Policy to reduce local carbon emissions, and believes a combination of measures set out in the report could make a significant contribution to achieving this.

Electricity generation is no longer the primary source of local carbon emissions, with road transport, sea travel and aviation all now contributing significantly higher amounts.

This is due to the importation of power from low and zero carbon sources, via the submarine cable link, which has reduced carbon emissions from on-island generation by around 70% since 2001.

Guernsey Electricity managing director Ian Watson said the Energy Policy rightly identified the need to tackle other sources of carbon emissions, and not just power production.

This meant a combination of measures would be required to successfully tackle overall emissions, and also to build on Guernsey Electricity’s own achievements to date.

‘We’ve already come a long way since the island was entirely reliant on oil for all its electricity needs. However if we want to reduce the island’s carbon emissions, we also have to seriously address other sources and not just electricity generation,’ he said.

‘Ultimately, whatever measures we adopt it is likely to mean that energy costs rise. That is a bitter pill, but if the island is serious about tackling climate change it is a price that we are all inevitably going to have to pay.’

Proposals outlined in the Billet to further reduce carbon emissions due to on-island power generation include the introduction of a fossil fuel levy, encouraging greater energy efficiency, and investigating local renewables project.

The current requirement on Guernsey Electricity to choose between importation or on-island generation purely on a least cost basis could also be reviewed.

‘There are sound environmental reasons why the island may want to progressively move away from burning fossil fuels as a first option, and it is essential to strike the right balance between the economic and the environmental aspects,’ he said.

‘Given the current concern regarding carbon emissions and global climate change, we believe there needs to be greater scope to favour imports. We don’t currently have that ability, but that could change if the States adopt the proposal to review this requirement.’

Guernsey Electricity also supports measures aimed at increasing energy efficiency, and investment in local renewables.

And a fossil fuel levy applied to all carbon sources would be important so as not to discourage the use of lower emission electricity.

‘There are cost implications associated with many of the proposals, not least of which is how the island would fund the capital investment required for a local renewable energy project. It is vital that electricity customers do not have to meet all of this, as that could potentially favour other source of energy that are responsible for much higher levels of carbon,’ he said.

‘Electricity is the one source of energy locally that has the potential to be generated entirely from low or zero carbon sources, so it has a key role to play in reducing carbon emissions.’