A NOT-FOR-PROFIT organisation has thanked the North Shropshire MP after she supported a new law that will help people buy their electricity locally.

If the Local Electricity Bill passes it would mean that communities across the country could buy their electricity from local, renewable sources, helping to reduce dependency on volatile gas supplies.

Power for People, which is backing the bill, believes that it could mean community renewable energy grows twentyfold by 2030, taking it from 0.5 per cent to 10 per cent of UK electricity generation and bringing widespread knock-on economic and social benefits.

Helen Morgan MP said: "I am pleased to support the Local Electricity Bill which will empower and enable new community energy companies to sell energy they generate directly to local people, helping to strengthen the local economy.

"The bill will also help accelerate our transition to clean energy, which is critical in avoiding the potential economic and ecological devastation of climate change. I will do all I can to ensure it becomes law."

Ms Morgan’s support comes as the Government introduced its landmark Energy Bill last week, and it is the first major piece of proposed energy legislation in almost 10 years.

Power for People’s director, Steve Shaw, said: "The enormous emissions reductions the Local Electricity Bill aims to bring must be a key pillar in our mission to avert climate catastrophe.

"If made law, it would unleash the huge potential for new community-owned clean energy infrastructure, making our energy system more robust and boosting the economies of communities across the country, including in North Shropshire.

"We thank Helen Morgan for supporting the Bill."

The new law is being supported by 309 MPs, 104 local authorities, and the National Trust, the RSPB, WWF, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

Supporters of the Local Electricity Bill say the Government’s Bill does not contain the vital measures needed to secure the huge local benefits that could be enjoyed from increased domestic renewable energy generation.

They are asking the Government to help local people buy their electricity directly from local renewable energy projects but, so far, the Government has not supported the measure, therefore the campaign continues.