Dale Vince of Ecotricity joined us on Zoom to talk to us about the energy crisis on Tuesday, 25 January 2022 at 7:30pm.
Described by The Times as ‘Britain’s most colourful energy entrepreneur’, Dale Vince has been at the forefront of the debate about climate change, renewables and the green economy since he founded Ecotricity in Stroud in 1995. The current energy crisis—spiralling costs and the collapse of so many suppliers—has led to unprecedented exposure, with frequent appearances on radio and television and in the press to explain what’s going on and what the Government needs to do. Incredibly, at the start of 2021 there were 71 registered energy suppliers in the UK. Today there are fewer than 30.
Dale has also been involved in a number of recent high-profile campaigns and initiatives, including opening a ‘green gas’ plant in Berkshire and launching a campaign to Save Our Boilers from the Government’s proposal to ban them. He points out the astronomical cost of installing heat pumps in every home, generating the electricity to power them, and upgrading the grid to deliver that energy. Not to mention the wastage involved in scrapping existing technologically advanced, highly efficient gas boilers (and many under-sized radiators).
Who better at this time to talk to Stroud Civic Society about the mess we’re in and the way forward?
Dr Dale Vince OBE
With more than 25 years’ experience as a green entrepreneur, Dale launched Ecotricity (http://www.ecotricity.co.uk), the world’s first green energy company, back in 1995. Today, it powers around 200,000 homes and businesses across the UK with renewable energy from the wind and sun. Dale also owns Devil’s Kitchen (http://www.thedevilskitchen.
He is Chairman and owner of Forest Green Rovers (http://fgr.co.uk)—recognised by FIFA as the ‘world’s greenest football club’—and became a United Nations Climate Champion in 2018. He launched his first book, Manifesto in 2020, and is Executive Producer of the Netflix Original documentary, Seaspiracy.