Julian chairs inquiry on energy support
January 10, 2023
Today, Julian chaired a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Rural Business and the Rural Powerhouse as part of the group’s four-part cost of living inquiry into the most pressing issues facing communities. The main issues discussed today were energy support, energy security and decarbonisation. This follows on from inquiry sessions on housing, employment and the impact on businesses.
One of the major issues discussed today was off-grid heating, an issue Julian has committed a lot of parliamentary time to since the summer recess given communities such as Rufforth have seen large rises in the price of heating oil without support comparable to those with main gas supply.
The meeting also looked into alternative and modern ways to generate electricity. With the political landscape involving war in Europe and global supply chain shortages, energy security has become increasingly paramount in the last year.
Julian is keen to see innovative methods explored as a way to grow the economy as we enter a potentially damaging recession. Britain has long had a reputation for having some of the finest scientific minds in the world and as renewable energy becomes critical, what better way to demonstrate that and accelerate our way to more security.
Julian was quoted as saying: “it was a really good meeting that tapped into the issues that concern people in York. I have made energy security a top priority in the last year as the current backdrop makes generating our own electricity even more important”.