Plans were outlined today for the future of Britain’s energy security, with nuclear, gas and renewables all to have essential roles in our energy mix in the coming decades. The Department For Energy & Climate Change today released a draft of the long-awaited energy bill, with the three goals of “Keeping the lights on, consumers energy bills down and creating … Read More
David Cameron speaks at the Energy Summit
Renewable energy sources must be “financially sustainable” if they are to meet the world’s needs, the Prime Minister David Cameron has said. A meeting of international Ministers was held last week when Mr Cameron welcomed the investment of £350 million to create 800 jobs in the energy sector, but he says the main challenge is to drive down costs. Mr … Read More
David Cameron: wind farms ”over subsidised”
In his most vociferous criticism of green energy yet, the Prime Minister has declared that wind farms have been “over subsidised and wasteful of public money”. Mr. Cameron plans to cut the subsidies for wind turbine construction, forcing them to be built in an economically viable way. He said during the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions “We’re cutting the subsidy to … Read More
The main problem with wind turbines
32,000 new turbines are planned, but how many understand the major flaw with the UK’s most popular renewable energy source? It seems at first glance to be the perfect solution to an ever-growing problem. Like the sun, the wind never ‘runs out’, and each turbine we build in the UK provides a little bit more energy to meet our needs. … Read More
Chris Huhne attacks critics
The Energy & Climate Change Secretary has called renewable energy critics ‘curmudgeons and faultfinders’ and says they are ‘selling Britain’s ingenuity short’. Chris Huhne seems to never be out of the spotlight. A couple of weeks ago he was slamming those who doubt the cost-effectiveness of renewable energy sources, such as wind power, and last week he wrote a controversial … Read More
‘Keep switching’, says Huhne at Energy summit
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
Nuclear is cheapest ‘low carbon’ energy source
Energy secretary gives the green light to nuclear development, despite fears over the management of nuclear waste. In a speech to the Royal Society today, energy secretary Chris Huhne confirmed that the UK is to continue with its plan to build new nuclear power plants that was set in motion by the current Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband when he … Read More
Germany pushing for European super-grid
Law stating that Germany must outlaw nuclear power generation by 2022 is encouraging more talk of an EU-wide electricity system. After the Fukushima disaster in Japan, Germany decided to shut down its 17 nuclear power stations by 2022, closing the 7 oldest ones immediately. This has turned Germany from a net exporter of electricity, to a net importer of electricity … Read More
Cutting red tape could fast-track wind power
‘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
‘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