Cutting red tape could fast-track wind power

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‘Presumption in favour of sustainable development’ may fast track wind turbine construction The reforms laid out by the coalition government aim to simplify the application process – fast tracking wind farms, many pieces of essential infrastructure, such as airports, waste processing plants and nuclear power stations. In simple terms, there will need to be enough protest by residents speaking out … Read More

Full extent of shale gas reserves revealed

adminBusiness Gas, Utilities Market Regulation, Wholesale Utilities Markets

Cuadrilla Resources estimates that up to 200 trillion cubic feet of gas lies underground near Blackpool. The company that halted the controversial ‘fracking’ process after a minor tremor near Blackpool earlier this year says that the resources found beneath the Northwest of England are extremely vast. Hydraulic Fracturing, or ‘fracking’, is a process which is enabling companies to extract gas … Read More

‘European super grid’ could cost £28 billion

adminBusiness Electricity, Energy Efficiency, International, Utilities Market Regulation, Wholesale Utilities Markets

A new ‘super grid’ for electricity that connects Britain to mainland Europe is being tabled as the solution to balancing international supply and demand. The new system would use cables laid under the sea, making it easier to connect offshore wind farms to the grid, eliminating the need for pylons that run from the countryside to the coast. It would … Read More

Jobs created by Obama’s green-tech program

adminBusiness Electricity, International, Utilities Market Regulation

The USA’s $38.6 billion “green-tech” program has so far only created a fraction of the green jobs that were promised. Various media outlets around the world are reporting on what’s becoming known as the Solyndra Scandal. Solyndra was a company that made solar panels, and was funded by Obama’s green-tech subsidy program. “The future is here” said Mr. Obama, when … Read More

UK joins US in laser nuclear fusion project

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The UK has teamed up with a US laser lab, hoping to develop clean energy from nuclear fusion The new technology uses lasers to compress hydrogen atoms together until they fuse, releasing large amounts of energy. Experiments at The National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the US have been promising, producing huge bursts of energy.

Government invests £6.5m in green engineering

Web MasterEnergy Efficiency

The government has announced a £6.5m investment in the future of green engineering The programme will train students in the design of wind turbine blades, amongst other renewable energy initiatives. Business Secretary Vince Cable said the scheme will help to pay for 50 students to be trained in the most innovative future technologies.

Barclays launches farmers renewables fund

Web MasterEnergy Efficiency

Barclays Bank has launched a £100m renewable energy fund for farmers due to a surge in interest Barclays say research shows more than one third of UK farmers want to install renewable energy projects on their farmland, most of them within a year. Farmers hope to generate average returns of £25,000 pounds per year, Barclays said.

Waste and biomass plants get go ahead

Web MasterEnergy Efficiency

a waste conversion plant in Billingham and two new biomass power stations in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have been given the go ahead by the government. UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry announced the acceptance of the proposal from Drax, who owns the country’s largest coal-fired power station. The two plants are of 299MW capacity each, but the plans will reportedly be … Read More

BHP Billiton invests in shale gas

Web MasterInternational, Wholesale Utilities Markets

The world largest mining company has invested £7.5bn into shale gas technology. BHP Billiton has agreed to purchase American shale gas company Petrohawk Energy in a £7.5bn deal, its biggest acquisition to date. It is the company’s second major investment into shale gas technology in the year, as BHP also purchased a gas field from Chesapeake Energy in February.