The Tidal Power Commission re-mandate into The Renewable Energy Commission

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A decision made 18 April 2011:

Decision Reference: MD-PE-2011-0043
Decision Summary Title	Renewable Energy Commission		Date of Decision Summary:	13th April 2011
Decision Summary Author:	Director of Environmental Policy		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:
Written Report Title	The establishment and terms of reference of the Tidal Power Commission		Date of Written Report:	13th April 2011
Written Report Author:	Director of Environmental Policy		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Re-mandate ‘The Tidal Power Commission’ into ‘The Renewable Energy Commission’.
Decision(s): 1. In May 2009 (MD-PE-2009-0093), the Minister for Planning and Environment established the first phase of a ‘Tidal Power Commission’ to produce recommendations to the Minister in respect of a fully mandated Tidal Power Commission. 2. The Tidal Power Commission reported their finding to the Minister in January 2011 and a key recommendation was to extend their work into a second phase with an extended remit to investigate renewable energy resources additional to tidal power. The Minister agreed this and now re-mandates the Commission and sets its scope, terms and working arrangements. 3. For continuity, the membership will continue to comprise: Constable Dan Murphy (Chairman); Sir Nigel Broomfield; Alick McIntosh; Mike Liston but the Commission will have the discretion to call upon the assistance of others with appropriate expertise as they see fit. 3. Officer support will be from William Peggie (Deputy Chief Officer) and Louise Magris (Director of Environmental Policy) 4. There is no budget attaching to this work but the group can discuss the need to commission any further external work with the Environment Director. 5. The Terms of Reference for the Renewable Energy Commission are: By the end of 2013, working with appropriate key stakeholders and other States Departments carry out the following tasks: Extend the remit of newly mandated Renewable Energy Commission to include exploring the feasibility of other utility scale (i.e. >3MW) renewable energy opportunities for Jersey for example off-shore wind; Continue discussions with the UK and Europe to resolve the eligibility of Jersey to access renewable energy feed-in tariffs and/or other subsidies; Continue work with the Economic Development Department and other appropriate stakeholders to explore other potential funding routes for a utility scale project for example co-operative ownership; Continue, strengthen and, where possible, formalise relationships with other Channel Islands in respect of renewable energy opportunities in the whole Channel Island region for mutual benefit; Resolve leasing arrangements between the States of Jersey and the Crown; Draft renewables energy legislation to regulate, licence and consent for the extraction of renewable energy and lodge for States debate; Develop a practical consenting framework including a space use framework; Continue to actively engage with the British Irish Council (Environment) Renewables sub-group attended by officers from the Planning and Environment Department and represented by the Minister or Assistant Minister for the Environment; Consider (and ultimately bring to the States for approval) commercialisation strategies including synergies with other Channel Islands and Europe / UK.
Reason(s) for Decision: To continue the work stream that will deliver the recommendations of the ‘Tidal Power Steering Group’ (convened under MD-PE-2008-0153) and ‘Tidal Power Commission’ (convened under MD-PE-2009-0093) in respect of the future opportunities for Jersey to exploit utility scale renewable energy. This is in line with the stated goal of energy policy for Jersey (as recommended in the Energy Green Paper ‘Fuel for Thought?’) to achieve ‘secure, affordable and sustainable energy’ as well as the Strategic Plan 2009-2014 Objective 13 ‘…assessing whether the island’s natural resources could be a future sustainable source of energy’.
Resource Implications: None
Action required: The Director for Environment to communicate the terms of reference to the group’s members.
Signature: Senator F E Cohen		Position: Minister
Date Signed:		Date of Decision