Mr Moerman said that the company’s attempts to encourage the use of green technology on the Island were being used to ‘exploit’ islanders.
“Mr Jackson asked Sark residents to ‘rent their roof’ to SEL so that solar panels could be installed,” he said. “Its website advertised allowing own generators to remain connected to the grid. But they could only do so as long as they use the SEL ‘buy-back’ agreement.
“Had I remained connected to the SEL system, it would have forced me to sell all the electricity I produced at the SEL purchase tariff of 15 p/kWh, and ‘buy back’ from SEL all the electricity I consumed, even if I had generated it myself, at 54 p/kWh. I did not want to be exploited in this way, and so asked to be disconnected.”
Even after the disconnection, Mr Moerman said SEL tried to use his land, free of charge, in order to supply and profit from other third parties. Last week, Mr Jackson criticised the Chief Pleas for insisting on the ‘piecemeal’ approach of coming to individual agreements with land owners in order to keep others connected via their property.
Pictured: SEL Director Alan Jackson has previously said that he was interested in moving to either Alderney or Guernsey to get away from Sark.
But Mr Moerman said that SEL was “totally intransigent” and unwilling to negotiate, adding that the company “wants to make profits at other’s expense, however unreasonably it chooses to conduct itself.
“The people of Sark and its institutions are well able to stand up for themselves, which has not gone down well with SEL.”
Mr Jackson said last week that he was exploring options to reconnect the 19 homes who were removed from SEL’s grid as a result of this dispute. However, according to the Chief Pleas, he has been offered a number of alternative solutions that he has since refused.
Click HERE to read more about the ongoing dispute over Sark Electricity.