By owning our own energy-generating capacity we increase Brighton’s self-sufficiency and energy security. In an age of peak oil and rising energy prices, locally-owned generation makes us less reliant on elements outside our control.
By joining the co-op, members get a well-rounded business education and form a powerful voice for advocacy. And since renewable energy tends to cluster around early innovators (as has been seen in Bavaria) Brighton Energy Co-operative also positions Brighton and Hove as a national leader in solar.
We also envisage a portion of our revenue going to support carbon dioxide–reducing community programs. In this way we aim to have a double carbon benefit — producing green electricity as well as reducing energy consumption.
Finally, Brighton Energy Co-operative opens the door for grass roots involvement in climate change. By joining an energy co-op, anyone with the minimum investment can do something positive for the environment. We also believe it’s important to increase local interest in energy issues — in Scandinavia widespread public engagement in energy generation has been shown to catalyse environmental behaviours.
