Leiston Town Council
Leiston-cum-Sizewell Town Council covers the administrative area of Leiston-cum-Sizewell, with a population of about 5,800 people. The council works closely with both East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council to manage the town’s affairs. Leiston-cum-Sizewell Town Council are also represented by the Leiston Together group, which is an enabling partnership board consisting of democratically elected District and Town Councillors (including District Council Cabinet members).
Helen Greengrass, Town Clerk for Leiston-cum-Sizewell Town Council, represents the community of Leiston as part of the Net Zero Leiston working group, providing unique local insight and knowledge to ensure the success of the project.
East Suffolk Council
East Suffolk Council covers a geographical location from Felixstowe and the outskirts of Ipswich in the south, to Bungay and across to Lowestoft in the north.
In July 2019, all East Suffolk councillors voted unanimously to declare a climate emergency, making the environment a top priority for the council. As a direct result of the climate emergency declaration, a cross-party Environment Task Group was established and set a target is to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. The council recognises that one of the most important aspects of being environmentally responsible is communicating with, and listening to, local communities and town/parish councils. To improve the environment, we must all work together in partnership and increase personal choice and responsibility.
Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council carries out local government services for the whole of Suffolk. It is responsible for major services which are provided countywide. These include education and learning, environment, leisure and culture, public safety, registrars, social care, trading standards and transport and streets.
Suffolk County County has an ambition to make Suffolk the UK’s greenest county. The plan is to enhance Suffolk’s natural and historic environment, and respond to climate change. The partnership behind Creating the Greenest County provides an umbrella for many existing projects but also encourages further recognition and resourcing of them, and seeks to inspire further actions in communities, businesses and schools.
Opergy
Opergy is an East Anglian-based clean energy consultancy which connects businesses with experts to offer key insights to optimise business performance, and develop new and innovative low carbon technologies and solutions to tackle climate change. Opergy have facilitated more than £7bn investment in regional clean energy projects and businesses.
Opergy has enabled new connections to the NZL project across the region and has contributed to several chapters for the route-map, including views on the counterfactual to the NZL project – what would happen if NZL didn’t go ahead; alignment against local to international climate policy; and scoping a range of community-focused solutions that will contribute to reaching Net Zero.
Johnathan Reynolds is on the board of the New Anglia LEP and is a champion of the region’s clean energy ambitions and ensuring the path to Net Zero is clear.
EDF
EDF is the UK’s largest generator of low-carbon electricity. Around a fifth of the UK’s electricity is generated by EDF’s five nuclear power stations, helping power our homes and businesses. EDF is investing in reliable low-carbon nuclear, alongside wind and solar power, to create a balanced energy mix and cut out polluting coal and gas. EDF operates the Sizewell B power station, located a few miles from Leiston. Sizewell B alone supplies around 3% of the UK’s energy demand.
EDF is always looking to new ways to apply new technologies and ways of working to help build a brighter energy future for the UK. Its programmes focus on coupling advances in science and engineering with new digital innovations. EDF has partnered with DriveElectric to provide affordable electric vehicles for customers, for example. EDF attempts to produce affordable energy in a sustainable way, which includes protecting vulnerable customers.
EDF is providing the overall project management for Net Zero Leiston, as well as providing expert input to the potential low carbon options to decarbonise Leiston.
Sizewell C
Sizewell C, a proposed new nuclear power station in Suffolk, has the potential to generate the reliable low carbon electricity the country needs for decades to come. It will also make a lasting positive difference to the economy in the east of England. The project is being led by EDF.
On 20 July 2022, the Secretary of State granted Sizewell C its Development Consent Order. The announcement followed four rounds of public consultation which began in 2012 and involved more than 10,000 East Suffolk residents. Construction of the plant is aimed to start in 2024, after a Final Investment Decision has been reached. Once operational, Sizewell C could produce around 7% of current UK demand in low carbon power.
The Sizewell C project has provided some seed funding and project support, as well as useful contacts and partners, to help launch the Net Zero Leiston project alongside the Leiston community.
www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-new-build-projects/sizewell-c/proposals
