The UK has “relatively good electricity and gas prices”, the Energy Secretary said at the Energy Summit held on 17 October 2011. Mr Huhne said on Radio 4’s Today programme, that energy companies were “not the Salvation Army”. He added “We expect them to earn respectable returns for their shareholders but they need to be operating in a fair and … Read More
‘European super grid’ could cost £28 billion
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
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
Wind farms producing more electricity
Record figures for energy generated from wind power in the UK. Thanks to Hurricane Irene, 7.2 per cent of our electricity was being produced by wind turbines on Tuesday 6th September at 11:58am. The latest reports from the British Wind Energy Association are understandably keen to talk up the renewable source of power, but other commentators have been more interested … Read More
UK joins US in laser nuclear fusion project
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.
Leaked letter says bills could increase 30%
A letter from the Prime Minister’s Senior Policy Adviser suggests current energy policy could add 30% onto household energy bills. In a letter leaked to the Telegraph, from Prime Minister’s advisers Ben Moxham and Gila Sacks, there are claims 30% increases in household bills could be seen by 2020. Senior Policy Adviser Ben Moxham said claims by the Department of … Read More
Marubeni invests £200m in UK windfarm
Marubeni Corp has become the first Asian company to invest in UK renewable energy. The Japanese conglomerate has invested £200m for a 49.9% share in a UK wind farm owned by Danish renewable firm Dong Energy. Marubeni‘s investment is in the Gunfleet Sands wind farm, located off the Essex coast. The wind farm began full operation last year and produces … Read More
Government invests £6.5m in green engineering
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
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
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