To encourage rural communities to play their part in delivering national climate change targets the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) and The Co-operative have organised a high profile initiative to show the potential of community, business and locally based renewable energy schemes in the Fens of Cambridgeshire today.

The CRC's latest Rural Experience will contribute to the current Government consultation on Feed In Tariffs and the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive to encourage more individuals and local businesses to invest in small-scale green energy facilities and reduce carbon emissions.

Delegates on the initiative led by Lynda Shillaw, Managing Director of The Co-operative Estates and CRC Chief Executive Sarah McAdam will include senior representatives from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Scottish Power and the Renewable Energy Foundation as well as local representatives and organisations from the Fens.

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They will visit Coldham wind farm near the market town of March, a joint venture between the Co-operative and Scottish Power, which supplies enough power for the equivalent of more than 9,000 homes and nearby Elm Park Primary School which has installed a community wind turbine at the end of its playing field and plans to install photovoltaic panels on the school roof. They will also visit an anaerobic digestion plant called the 'cow' at McCains chip factory in Whittlesey and hear about plans for a new state of the art anaerobic digestion plant at the Fenmarc Produce vegetable packing factory in March.

Ms Shillaw said: "Our wind farm at Coldham is an excellent example of how a rural community can get involved in a project that can make a meaningful contribution to our energy needs.

"Thanks to the diversity within The Co-operative – in planning, land management and finance – we have the expertise in making a variety of renewable installations a reality and, most importantly, we recognise the importance of involving local people from the outset and giving them direct input into all aspects of our schemes."

(CD/GK)