Members of the Cornwall Residents’ Energy Panel have met to discuss how to achieve better energy security for the region including looking at how we heat homes, travel and generate energy. 

The panellists were selected from across Cornwall by the Sortition Foundation which specialises in recruiting locally representative groups of people to give their views on specific topics.  

They are meeting this month and next to learn about and debate the question: How should Cornwall transition to a net zero local energy system?  

The Cornwall Residents’ Energy Panel is part of the government-funded Local Area Energy Plan being led by Cornwall Council and Council of the Isles of Scilly to make the region’s energy cheaper, more secure and sustainable as well as boosting the green economy.   

When finished, the plan will recommend required changes to local area energy systems and infrastructure for heating, electricity and transport.    

It is the first time a local authority undertaking a Local Area Energy Plan is using a residents’ panel as part of the process. 

The panel is one of the ways that resident’s views on local energy are helping to inform the development of the Local Area Energy Plan.  

Later this year there will be a public consultation on the draft Local Area Energy Plan where all residents across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will have an opportunity to contribute their views.   

A total of 15,000 households across Cornwall were selected at random by the Sortition Foundation to receive a letter inviting them to apply to be part of the Cornwall Residents’ Energy Panel.  

Anyone receiving the letter could register their interest and 50 of those registering interest were invited to join the panel. They were selected with the goal of ensuring the panel broadly reflects the makeup of Cornwall’s population.