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
SSE sells three wind farms
Scottish and Southern Energy has sold three of its wind farms for £173.6 million SSE, the second biggest energy supplier in the UK, has sold the three wind farms to renewable energy company Infinis. The three wind farms have a total capacity of nearly 100MW, and are located in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland and the third in Northern Ireland.
Wind farms less efficient than expected
A study into the efficiency of wind farms has revealed that they run at a much lower capacity than previously thought. The study, supported by Scottish conservation charity The John Muir Trust, found that wind farms are producing less than 10% capacity for more than a third of the two year study. The study also found that low output also … Read More
Britain falls 10 places in green rankings
The UK has fallen from third place to thirteenth place in the green investment rankings According to rankings published yesterday by The Pew Charitable Trust, Britain has significantly faltered in its push to be a major player in global renewable energy. Britain’s 13th place means the UK is behind developing nations such as Brazil (6th) and India (10th).
Budget 2011 introduces new carbon tax
The Chancellor, George Osborne announced yet another ‘carbon tax’ in yesterday’s budget, dubbed the ‘2011 budget for growth’. This means businesses and consumers can expect higher electricity bills, as carbon-emitting coal and gas-fired plants are taxed £3.2 billion over the next 5 years. Nuclear and renewable companies should see increased profits, as the tax is applied to the oil and … Read More
UK at top of European Commission report
The UK is one of the most energy efficient nations in Europe, says a European commission report. The European Commission report says the UK’s energy use fell by 5% between the year 2000 and 2008. In comparison, German energy use stayed at the same rate whilst France’s energy use grew by 7%. The report found that in total, there was … Read More
Energy Secretary on UK oil dependency
Oil price rises due to middle east conflict, UK energy secretary says UK needs to become more energy independent. UK Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has called for the UK to speed up a move away from foreign oil vulnerable to factors such as civil unrest. The recent turmoil throughout the Middle East has sent the price of oil up dramatically, … Read More
Renewable energy plans to be reviewed
Energy Minister Charles Hendry has spoken out on issues surrounding renewable energy and wind power. The UK Energy minister has spoken about government plans for the nation’s energy mix, with some possible changes to its approach on wind power. Speaking at Westminster Hall last week Hendry stated his support of the offshore wind power and nuclear energy initiatives already put … Read More
Government grants wind farm approval
E.ON has been given the go ahead for the construction of one of the UK’s largest offshore wind farms. The government has granted planning approval for the construction of a huge new wind farm off the Yorkshire coast. The Humber Gateway wind farm, will consist of 77 wind turbines and will generate enough energy to power 150,000 homes a year … Read More
Suppliers fined in new Ofgem action
Scottish Hydro Electric and 2 other power grid firms have been fined by Ofgem. The three companies include two major players: Scottish Hydro-Electric Power Distribution (owned by SSE), Central Networks (owned by E.ON) and a third smaller firm, Electricity North West. The fines are for failure to connect customers to the national energy grid within the compulsory 3 month deadline.