energy

Last night a group of about twenty of us met in Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre to explore the possibilities of using small scale hydro-power in the valley. The Calder Valley, my home, is littered with the remnants of the early Industrial Revolution - where water powered cotton and silk mills drew people from the land to work in the new global industries. Our particular valley - Wickenbury Clough, housed three mills, the earliest dating back to the 1690's called Greenhurst Hey Mill which operated as a wool carding and drawing factory.

The industry has long since moved to other parts of the planet, but the legacy remains in the form of holding ponds, goits, channels and in some cases mill wheels. Until recently these have been looked upon as quaint reminders of a world that has passed by.

The renewed interest in the remaining infrastructure comes from its potential as a source of energy. Over a few months, through a myriad of conversations and chance meetings it has become clear that a number of people through the valley have begun to think about ways in which they might use the existing technology, and connect it into new ways of drawing energy from the streams and rivers on a local scale.

The route to achieving this is not easy. Primarily because over the decades the source of power which we use to run our homes and businesses has become distanced from where we live. Whereas in the early industrial age the power source was located on the site where the industry took place, the modern industrial has seen the elimiation of small scale sources of power in favour of a few mega-scale enterprises. Whilst this provides for the needs of us all in terms of heat and light, it comes at a cost - both financial, social and environmental. We are all aware of rising fuel prices, seeking alternatives seems a sensible thing to do, we have become more and more distant from sources of power which are localy available, looking again at what potential there is for sustainable forms of energy within our communities allows us to reconnect with the geography on our doorstep, looking again at how our energy is produced enables us to become more aware of the impact the production of energy has on our world. We become less aware of the simple technologies that already exist that can in suitable environments, provide credible alternatives to the power industry. We learn, as a result, to be reliant on someone else providing a solution to meet our needs, this reliance disempowers and disconnects us from each other, and from our world.

The meeting was fascinating, a diverse group of people with quite different motivations for exploring the possibilities of using hydro power for personal and community use. We finished last night with agreement to continue to talk and share insights and experiences as we explore how to generate micro-power, I didn't know many of the people present at the meeting but isn't it interesting how an idea can generate energy - how an idea that has personal and collective resonance provides a wonderful opportunity to begin new learning journeys?