Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006

Local authorities

3 Local authorities to have regard to information on energy measures in exercising functions

(1) The Secretary of State—

(a) must, not later than 12 months after this section comes into force, publish an energy measures report, and

(b) may from time to time publish revised energy measures reports.

(2) Every local authority must, in exercising any of their functions, have regard to the most recently published energy measures report (if any).

(3) In this section, “energy measures report” means a document containing information on local authority measures which would or might in the opinion of the Secretary of State have any of the following effects—

(a) improving efficiency in the use of electricity, heat, gas, fuel and other descriptions or sources of energy;

(b) increasing the amount of electricity generated, or heat produced, by microgeneration or otherwise by plant which relies wholly or mainly on low-emissions sources or technologies;

(c) reducing emissions of greenhouse gases;

(d) reducing the number of households in which one or more persons are living in fuel poverty.

(4) In subsection (3)—

• “local authority measure” means any way in which a local authority can exercise any of their functions, including—

  (a)

  taking any particular step in the exercise of a function, or

  (b)

  not exercising a particular power;

• “low-emissions source or technology” means a source of energy or a technology mentioned in subsection (2) of section 26.

(5) Before publishing an energy measures report (or a revised energy measures report), the Secretary of State must consult the National Assembly for Wales and—

(a) such representatives of local government, and

(b) such other persons (if any),

as he considers appropriate.

(6) In this section, “local authority” means any of the following—

(a) a county council;

(b) a county borough council;

(c) a district council;

(d) a London borough council;

(e) the Common Council of the City of London in their capacity as a local authority;

(f) the Council of the Isles of Scilly;

(g) a parish council;

(h) a community council.