LETTERS From David Green, CEO, Ecoisland CIC, Newport:
LAST week F. I. Wilson, of East Cowes, asked: "Can anyone answer my Ecoisland questions?" "Can anyone answer my Ecoisland questions?"
As the founder of Ecoisland, I would be delighted to, as it gives us the chance to reassure the community about our plans and activities for 'Greening the IW’.
1. Ecoisland CIC has just completed its first trading period and once the management accounts have been signed off we will produce an annual report and publish it on our website.
2. All operational costs have been funded via partnership relationships without a penny of bank debt, public funding or donations — something we are quite proud of.
3. Full details about the hydrogen refueller project are available on our website, the location is still to be confirmed. The costs are being met by the Government’s Technology Strategy Board matched by funding, goods and services from our partners.
4. Our global partners have contributed time, energy, expertise and funding entirely free of charge because they want to support the world’s most innovative community energy initiative. They look to the IW as a platform for research and development of new technology and a tremendous showcase for their goods and services around the world.
5. Full details about our renewable energy projects are again available on our website and we will announce proposed locations as they are agreed. We are currently securing investment to enable the CIC and its newly formed Ecoisland Energy Service Company to debt fund the technologies and infrastructure. The payback has been calculated to be within ten years, leaving the IW and its Community Energy Company owning the renewable energy real estate and distributing the operating surpluses among the community once the investors have received their returns.
If you want to know more our objectives or outputs since we formed, or you want to see the full version of this letter, go to our website and download the complete response in the media resources section (www.eco-island.org/hub/page/media).
Ecoisland is run by and for the community and we are always happy to answer any questions you may have, just get in touch.