MINISTER of State Oliver Letwin is to be the keynote speaker at Ecoisland's Global Launch event at Westminster next Tuesday.
The event, said by organisers to stake the Isle of Wight's claim to be the first example of Big Society in action, will signal the launch of Ecoisland Community Interest Company (CIC).
David Green, Ecoisland CIC chief executive, said it would show how, working with Global Partners IBM and Toshiba, it plans to integrate the Island’s future wind, tidal, geothermal and solar power.
The smart grid initiative is one of the key ingredients in the Island’s aim to become the first truly sustainable region of the UK.
Mr Green said: "Ecoisland is the largest single sustainability project in the UK and the most successful working example of the Big Society in action – a concept launched by the Prime Minister David Cameron in July 2010.
"The Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, Mr Letwin, responsible for government policy advice, will be speaking at the launch event, indicating the importance of this idea to the future of Britain.
"Our global launch is living proof of how the Big Society concept is workable when a local community and private business combine their resources and expertise.
"The Isle of Wight community needs to act quickly to avert the possibility of blackouts from increased demands on the UK's electricity generation capacity.
"We are looking to use the Island’s natural resources to make it self sufficient in terms of energy, food, water, fuel and waste — enabling the community to take its destiny back into its own hands".
Around 200 Islanders have been invited to the launch reception, funded by IBM, in the Terrace Room at Westminster on Tuesday afternoon.
• ITM Power, the energy storage and clean fuel company, has announced it is the latest partner of the Ecoisland consortium.
ITM will supply hydrogen refuelling equipment to make the Isle of Wight a showcase for hydrogen-fuelled vehicles by 2013.
• Full story in the Friday, November 11, County Press.