UK Energy Secretary Chris Huhne unveiled proposals set to bring about the biggest reforms since privatisation. The UK government announced on Tuesday that the UK’s energy infrastructure will need £110bn of investment to keep the lights on. Chris Huhne told parliament that without reform and substantial financial investment, the country will be facing blackouts.
CCC advises government to step up carbon reduction
The Committee on Climate Change has advised the government to step up carbon reduction efforts in their latest report The advisory body said that the country’s greenhouse gas emissions are not dropping fast enough to meet targets. The CCC advised that a new range of carbon reduction tools is needed to achieve a faster rate of reduction. The Committee on … Read More
UK’s biggest solar farm up and running
The largest solar farm in the country is now in use after being connected to the national grid. The solar farm at Howbery business park in Oxfordshire caters for a quarter of the park’s energy requirements, generating 682MWh a year. There are 3000 solar panels in the array, which are expected to save 350 tonnes of CO2 at the Wallingford … Read More
Shale gas drilling suspended after earthquake
Test shale gas drilling in Lancashire has been suspended after fears it is linked to earthquakes A 1.5 magnitude tremor near a drill site in the north west has lead to Cuadrilla Resources suspending shale gas drilling. The tremor is the second in two months, and Cuadrilla will now wait to review data collected by the British Geological Survey (BGS) … Read More
MPs support UK shale gas drilling
A committee of MPs has urged the government to allow drilling for shale gas A commons committee said on Monday that there is no need for a moratorium on shale gas hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”. Just two weeks ago France recommended freezing shale gas drilling permanently, based on environmental concerns about the fracking process.
Huhne announces 50% carbon reduction by 2025.
Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has committed the UK to halving carbon emissions by 2025, from 1990 levels. The Energy Secretary announced yesterday that ministers have accepted the Committee on Climate Change‘s proposal to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by 50% by 2025 – the biggest commitment of any EU country so far. The secretary, briefing MPs on the 4th carbon … Read More
MPs say reforms are hiding nuclear subsidies
A committee of MPs has said in a report released today that the planned reforms to the energy market are hiding subsidies for nuclear power The coalition government’s planned reforms of the energy industry are hiding subsidies for nuclear power, says the Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECCC). The committee claims these covert subsidies are betraying the previous promise that … Read More
Nuclear is UK’s ‘cheapest low-carbon option’
The Committee on Climate Change has said in its renewable energy review that nuclear power remains the cheapest low carbon energy option The CCC said that nuclear power will stay the cheapest solution to growing a low carbon energy supply for at least the next 10 years. The The Committee on Climate Change report says that the UK’s energy supply … Read More
CBI warns UK of green energy failure
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that the UK is failing to attract low-carbon investment The CBI warned today that Britain is failing to attract enough the investment required to build a low-carbon energy infrastructure. They claim that the energy sector will require £150bn of private investment alone over the next 20 years, to replace the third of … Read More
Shale gas may be dirtier than coal
Study suggests new method for obtaining gas from shale beds could be more harmful to the environment than coal Shale gas refers to gas obtained from shale beds through a new and more complex process of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”. “Fracking” consists of blasting water, sand and various chemicals into a shale bed two to three kilometres below ground, to … Read More