Issue - meetings

To consider a report from Cllr Tony Ferrari for Portfolio Holder Finance, Commercial and Assets and Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment.

Decision

(a)       That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Corporate Development (S151) and the Executive Director for Place to enter into appropriate Customer Access Agreements through the LASER framework agreement for the supply of electricity, gas and ancillary services.

(b)       That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Corporate Development (S151) and the Executive Director of Place to procure and award a call off contract under a LASER framework agreement for the council’s (including partners) gas and electricity supplies for a term of up to four years for the period 2020-2024.

(c)        That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Corporate Development (S151) and the Executive Director of Place to decide on the preferred in-contract purchasing option.

The Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment presented a report on the future procurement of its energy.  Dorset Council and its partners, principally schools spend over £7m a year on electricity and gas supplies.

Since 2009, on the advice of Procurement, the former sovereign Councils had each procured electricity and gas for themselves and partner organisations through LASER, by Professional Buying Organisations established by Kent County Council. Following the formation of Dorset Council, these contracts have been converged into single contracts for electricity and gas.

LASER provided energy procurement and contract management on behalf of its public sector members. LASER currently procured energy for over 200 public organisations including 130 local authorities, representing over £450m of energy contracts every year. The Council now needed to decide whether to continue to procure its energy via LASER for the new contracts commencing in 2020.

In response to concerns regarding green energy, the Portfolio Holder confirmed that this proposal was drawn up to serve public sector organisations, many of whom had declared a climate emergency.  As such, they had been specifically designed to provide a large degree of flexibility to the customer, within the contracted period, to allow a range of actions to be taken that would reduce its carbon emissions.

Members agreed that the proposal through LASER represented best value, was flexible and had low carbon options.

Decision

(a)       That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Corporate Development (S151) and the Executive Director for Place to enter into appropriate Customer Access Agreements through the LASER framework agreement for the supply of electricity, gas and ancillary services.

(b)       That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Corporate Development (S151) and the Executive Director of Place to procure and award a call off contract under a LASER framework agreement for the council’s (including partners) gas and electricity supplies for a term of up to four years for the period 2020-2024.

(c)        That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Corporate Development (S151) and the Executive Director of Place to decide on the preferred in-contract purchasing option.

To consider a report of the Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment.

Decision

Defer

Reason for the Decision

To allow further detailed consideration and investigation on this important matter prior to a formal decision being made by Cabinet.

Decision

Defer

Reason for the Decision

To allow further detailed consideration and investigation on this important matter prior to a formal decision being made by Cabinet.