Collective Power Changing the way we consume energy Written by Robbie Erbmann, Hugh Goulbourne & Piya Malik Foreword by Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change the co-operative party Collective Power Changing the way we consume energy Robbie Erbmann, Hugh Goulbourne & Piya Malik, May 2009 Edit and design: Martin Tiedemann Our thanks to Cliff Mills (Cobbetts LLP), John Goodman & Mary Rayner (Co-operativesUK), Rainer Schlüter (Co-operatives Europe & ICA), Ron Campbell & Jenny Saunders (NEA), Koen Albregts (ACW), Daniel Shah (Social Enterprise Coalition), Doug Parr (Greenpeace), Stephen Morgan (Utility-aid), David Green (UKBCSE), Steve Brown (Yorkshire Forward), Melanie Smallman, Andrew Pakes & Mike Smith (SERA), Pat Thorpe (Huddersfield Co-operative Party), Peter Rock (Kirklees Community Association), Michael King (Aberdeen Heat and Power), Anna Eager (Shoreditch Trust NDC), Lizzie Chambers, Ros Goodfellow, Joe Wales, Alex Baker & Michael Stephenson for their help in putting this publication together. Published by The Co-operative Party, 77 Weston Street, London SE1 3SD Tel: 020 7367 4150 Fax: 020 7407 4476 Email:
[email protected] Website: www.party.coop 2 The Co-operative Party is the fourth largest political party in Parliament, and the political arm of the Co-operative Movement. We believe that people will achieve more by working together than they can by working alone. We support the efforts of those who seek success through that co-operative endeavour. We believe that the only way to create a just and fair society is through power being spread evenly throughout society, and not arbitrarily based on wealth, class, gender or race.