Plans have been unveiled showing how the Isle of Wight intends to become self sufficient by 2020.
A community group behind the plans, Ecoisland, presented 14 objectives to Parliament outlining how it intends to not only become self sufficient, but also become a net exporter of energy. Ecoisland has said that power for the population of 142,500 could come from a combination of solar panels, tidal and geothermal power and a waste-to-energy plant.
The Ecoisland project has had support from industry, with Koji Iwama, the CEO of Toshiba Europe saying the project was a “model community” that could help push the UK to the forefront of energy efficiency.
The scheme is not without its difficulties though. Experts have said that completing the project by 2020 will be “a challenge,” and Dr Eyre from Oxford University has said that whilst he thinks it is “exciting,” the whole project will require “a wide range of individuals and organisations to take on major technical, social, and cultural changes.”