Extracts from the Nov-Dec 2002 edition of Renew
These extracts only represent about 25% of it

1. More Offshore Wind - and wave and tidal

England: Greenpeace, backed by TXU Energy, has been touring East Anglia promoting the Sea Wind East report, produced by AEA Technology, which claims that by 2020 25% of the UK’s electricity could be generated by 40 wind farms off the coast of East Anglia

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2. PV Lifts off

Work on the first home to be fitted with solar roof-slates under the Government initiative to encourage the use of solar power in the UK was completed during the summer. The funding for the solar roofs was made available through the DTI's Major Photovoltaics Demonstration Programme (PV MDP)

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3. Community Energy

The Countryside Agency’s new Community Renewables Initiative (see Renew 138) is leading to some interesting projects. For example, there’s a £100,000 three year pilot project in Shropshire, which has already supported the restoration of a water wheel on the River Teme, which was once used for generating power for cloth and steel factories, to provide 30kW of electricity for nearby Ludlow.

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4. MP’s debate energy policy

In the run up to the production of the new White paper on Energy, now expected sometime early next year, in June the House of Commons debated energy policy.

Energy Minister Brian Wilson set the scene with a strong presentation on renewables

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5. UK Energy Review: The debate gets aggressive

Many of the submissions produced in the run up to the White paper on energy, responding to the Cabinet Office PIU report, were, in effect, summarised by the report produced by the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee ‘A Sustainable Energy Strategy? Renewables and the PIU review’. It also seemed to create an interesting, if sometimes aggressive, debate on strategy.

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6. OFGEM tries to be Green ...but the CCL and RO face problems

OFGEM, the energy regulator, has been the butt of many criticisms recently (not least from the Environment Audit Committee- see later), given that it is responsible for operating the NETA trading arrangements, which have blocked renewables and CHP. However that may be a little unfair since Ofgem was set up by the government with tightly defined rules as to how it was to operate and with its main aim being set as enhancing competition, in the belief that this would reduce consumer prices.

7. Time for Industrial Action

The UK renewables market could be worth £2b by 2010, but British based banks could lose out on significant investment opportunities unless they are prepared to show more enthusiasm for financing renewables projects, Minister for Energy, Brian Wilson, warned the City. Speaking to a conference of the major banks and financial institutions on ‘The New Electric Economy’, Brian Wilson said: "There are enormous rewards to be shared from the successful development of renewables in this country.

8. Wind Backlash

The full impact of the objections to local wind projects is revealed in the results of the planning successes and rejections in the period June 1999 to May 2000, involving 124MW of capacity.

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9. Cleaner Coal ?

The recently published Review of the case for Government support for Cleaner Coal Technology Demonstration Plant recognised that the main challenge is now reducing CO2 emissions, given that technologies to manage SO2 and NOx emissions are now well established and already installed in some coal-fired plant around the UK.

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10. PIU Waste Project

The Cabinet Office Performance and Innovation Unit has been looking at waste management policy, with the aim exploring ‘a variety of policy options to allow England to meet the EU Landfill Directive and to move to a more sustainable waste management system’.

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11. Wind around the world

Although Germany remains the leader, renewables and particular wind power projects, are expanding quite rapidly around the world, even in countries where nuclear power is still seen as a viable option for expansion. For example, Japan expects to have around 1.7GW of wind power capacity installed by 2006 and China’s wind target is 3GW by 2010. It has also been reported (New Energy 3/2002), that the USA could soon see its first offshore wind- in a 28 square mile area known as Horseshoe Shoal, four miles off Yarmouth, New England

12. Action & reaction on Climate Change

Patchy EU progress

The EU ratified the Kyoto accord in May. The Accord calls for the EU to cut emissions by 8% from 1990 level by 2008-2012, but there is clearly some way to go. According to the European Environment Agency the EU’s emissions of greenhouse gases was 3.5% lower than in 1990, but slightly higher than in 1999. The UK’s CO2 output rose 1.2 % in 2000, chiefly due to a switch back to coal fired plants, although it was still 7.0 % down on 1990 levels. The aim is to get them down by 20% by 2010.

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13. EUGENE

WWF, the World Wide Fund for Nature, has linked up with other environmental and consumer organizations to form the European Green Electricity Network, or EUGENE, an independent labeling scheme with the aim of promoting common standards for green electricity in Europe. EUGENE sets out to remedy the confusing situation for electricity users that arises from several labeling bodies in Europe each having its own criteria and certification for green electricity.

14. Earth Summit - G-8 sets the scene

Setting the tone for the Earth Summit, in May, UK Energy Minister Brain Wilson told the ‘G8’ meeting of ministers from the eight leading industrialsed countries, who had gathered in Detroit, that a new priority should be given to clean, reliable energy supply in the fight against world poverty. "The only people who think that the provision of electricity is not a priority in poverty alleviation are those who have never been without it.

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15. The British Nuclear Energy Crisis

The UK energy scene was thrown into turmoil in early Sept by the announcement by British Energy, the UK’s main nuclear operator, that unless a new deal was made to improve its economic situation it would be ‘unable to meet its financial obligations as they fall due and therefore the company may have to take appropriate insolvency proceedings’.

16. In the Rest of Renew 140

In a bumper 34 page issue, the Feature looks critically at the economics of energy – asking if it is wise to let all the options compete to death , so there is no one left standing- as seems to be happening in the UK at present. The Technology section includes a look at the issues of the intermittency of some renewable sources, at the cost of building a marine cable to bring green power south from Scotland, and at a proposal for obtaining 30% of Welsh electricity from renewables by 2010. Our Reviews section includes a look at the recent House of Commons debate on energy. And our extensive Groups section includes coverage of the Hockerton Housing Projects work , the GLA energy plan for London and the activities of the Renewable Power Association . Theresa also an editorial on the White paper and a Forum piece defending Bjorn Lombug.