Isle of Wight to become self-sufficient by 2020

The ability to make your life easier by becoming self-sufficient has a wide range of pro's, hence the reason for everyone jumping on the 'eco friendly' band wagon. The idea is to almost to go back 50 years or so and go back to basics, such as growing your own vegetables, producing your own energy and cycling to work. Here on the Isle of Wight (were us here at Bailey Finch Engineering are situated) we've been notified on the latest plans and projects coming to the Island, creating not only new employment opportunities but showing us an idea of what's to come the next decade. 


As announced last year Westminster have stated plans to make the Isle of Wight the UK's first energy self-sufficient and carbon neutral region  by 2020 as shown in the article below. 

"Plans to make the Isle of Wight's self-sufficient by 2020 have been unveiled at Westminster. A community group hopes to turn the island into a "living laboratory" with support from companies such as Cable & Wireless, IBM and Toshiba. Experts say that power for the population of 142,500 could come from a waste energy plant, solar panels and tidal and geothermal power."  


With this is mind, the island has also showed interest in investing on having a tidal energy facility off St. Catherines Point, located in the south of the island. This will be created so the island has its own electricity supply and would be a huge contribution to reaching the 2020 goal. The authority have already pledged £1 million by the Isle of Wight council, which has been matched by a private sector investment that will fund phase one of the scheme to get licences and consents for the site and seabed.