James Lovelock, long-time environmental guru and the inventor of the Gaia Hypothesis says environmentalism is taking over from Christianity, and thinks we should ‘go mad on’ shale gas. In an interview in the Guardian, the celebrated environmental scientist also declares that he is not worried about sea-level rises, Germany is crazy for ditching nuclear power, how wind turbines are “ugly … Read More
Bribe residents to accept wind farms – Tim Yeo
Residents objecting to the construction of wind farms in their communities should be ‘bribed’ in order to get them to stop protesting, a Conservative MP has said. Tim Yeo, a senior Conservative MP and chairman of the Commons energy and climate change committee has caused a bit of a stir by using the word “bribe” when discussing how to push … Read More
Video – Draft Energy Bill
Are we setting ourselves up for another ‘dash for gas’ and should we be investing more in renewables? Watch this short video about the future of Britain’s energy security.
Energy Bill 2012: Ed Davey sets out reforms
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
Ofgem staff pocket £1million in bonuses
Figures show that the energy regulator has given some staff bonuses in excess of £20,000. Scandal? Fair? Or just a gravy train? The information was revealed after shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint submitted a written request in parliament. In summary: Two people received over £20,000 in 2010. 14 people received £10,000 in 2010 – 2011. 38 people received £5,000 in … Read More
Consumers to be told best energy deals
Under new rules announced today, the Big Six energy suppliers will have to write to all of their customers once a year informing them if they are on the best type of tariff for their usage. The new rules do not however, mean that the supplier has to inform their customer if there is a cheaper deal with another supplier … Read More
Olympic Games Street Works Embargo
New Electricity and Gas Connections will not be possible in certain areas of London in the run up to and during the Olympic Games. Known as the Clearway Project, from now until September, there are no street works allowed on ‘key parts’ of the Olympic Route Network (ORN). This will be expanded to cover the whole ORN from July 2012, … Read More
Budget 2012: New carbon taxes for businesses?
In the budget today, the Chancellor George Osborne announced plans for a new “alternative environmental tax”, as a result of reforming or scrapping the Carbon Reduction Commitment. The Carbon Reduction Commitment, also known as the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, is designed to reduce the energy consumptions of the largest businesses in the UK, by placing them in a league table … Read More
Which? calls for carbon price to be scrapped
The consumer watchdog has begun a campaign to get the carbon floor price scrapped, saying that it is nothing but a burden on UK energy consumers and businesses. The program is designed to encourage energy suppliers to generate more from low-carbon technologies, but Which? says that it will add to our bills without really changing how the suppliers invest. It’s … Read More