1. PIU says ‘go for green’

but keeps the nuclear option open

The Cabinet Offices Performance and Innovation Unit published the result of its long awaited review on energy policy in January. There had been a lot of speculation about what it would say - some predicted that it might sanction the construction of 10 new nuclear plants. However, setting the scene, Brian Wilson, the energy minister, who chaired the PIU reviews advisory group, cautioned the nuclear industry not to expect too much from the PIU review. In Dec., he told a conference .... MORE

2. Scotland leads the way

Energy from wind, waves and tides could provide up to 10 times more power than Scotland needs, according to a new study by energy consultants Garrad Hassan in Glasgow, produced for the Scottish Executive. The study concludes that the potential renewable energy resource in Scotland at under 7p/Kwh is nearly 60GW by 2010, mainly from onshore and offshore wind and marine energy. As well as being 10 times the nation’s peak demand for power on the... MORE

3. The battle for Renewable

RPA begins to Bite

The newly launched Renewable Power Association has been making waves. ‘Renewable generators are facing bankruptcy, or seriously curtailed activity, because of the new electricity trading arrangements and the further delay in the introduction of the Renewables Obligation.’ ...MORE

4. Green Power in London

Last year, London Electricity launched a combined green energy fund/tariff scheme with a massive advertising campaign around London, including on the Tubes. It has been so successful that the company may consider developing other renewable energy schemes. "The success has encouraged us to be inventive in this area and put our minds on where else we can meet customers' desires to ‘do their bit’ for the environment". However, Derek Lickorish, managing director of ...MORE

5. Power to the People : IPPR report

The Government must reject new nuclear power stations and reduce dependence on fossil fuels and instead encourage small scale energy production to cut emissions and tackle climate change according to a new report published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the leading UK think tank on the centre-left. The report, Power to the People, calls for an overhaul of energy policy to encourage a more decentralised system ...MORE

6. After the RO ... what next for Future Energy?

With the Renewables Obligation soon to be in force, the green power retail market should begin to settle down. In particular the fate of the so called ‘voluntary’ schemes accredited under the Energy Saving Trusts ‘Future Energy’ scheme, which was first launched in July 1999, has become a little clearer ...MORE

7. NETA Crisis

The battle over the impact of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA) on renewables and CHP has continued. The Combined Heat and Power Association pointed out that the preliminary conclusions from the Performance and Innovation Units study were that offshore wind might be generating at 1.5-2.5p/kWh by 2020, and that CHP costs could have fallen ...MORE

8. Wave &Tidal Energy - slow ahead both

In response to some Parliamentary questions about research on wave and tidal energy technology, Brian Wilson, the Energy Minister commented ‘The recent report of the Science and Technology Committee Inquiry into wave and tidal energy estimated that energy from wave and tidal currents around the UK have the theoretical potential to generate about 25% of the nation’s electricity...MORE

9. The Dash for Coal

‘Emissions have increased for the second year running, above levels when the government first came into office (1997) and this is largely due to increased coal-burn,’ according to Colin Godfrey, of CLG Energy Consultants...MORE

10.Ups and downs in Europe

Europe’s PV sunrise

A boom in the installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels has been forecast by the 47 company strong European Photovoltaic Industry Association, which met in Switzerland, last Sept., with growth targets of 3 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2010 expected to be exceeded...MORE

11. Wind in Japan

A growing number of wind-power projects have been built in the last few years in areas of Hokkaido and the Tohoku region. As a result, wind-power capacity has more than tripled from 38,000 kilowatts in fiscal year 1998 to 140,000 kilowatts in fiscal year 2000...MORE

12. US Green Power weak but could grow

A report from the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) gives green power programmes in the U.S. a mixed review. The report praises the 85 utilities in 29 states that have designed green power programs, resulting in 282 megawatts of new renewable capacity installed or planned. But the current customer participation rate of less than 1% in more than half of green power programmes points to faulty marketing, NREL says. And the report laments that only a dozen or so of those 85 utilities have developed more than two megawatts of new renewable power...MORE

13. Nuclear Waste Decision Delayed

Last year the government launched a programme of public consultation, backed up with further research, on nuclear waste disposal, which would culminate in 2005 with a series of options for public consultation and an announcement of the result in 2006. Options include burial, with or without the possibility of retrieval, or above-ground dry storage. Environment Minister Michael Meacher said that the Government was "starting from scratch" following the cancellation by the last government of plans to build an experimental disposal shaft near Sellafield, which was hotly opposed by Cumbria county council...MORE