Renew On Line (UK) 43
Extracts from the May-June 2003
edition of Renew
These extracts only represent about 25% of it
Renew On Line (UK) 43 |
Extracts from the May-June 2003
edition of Renew |
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1. White Paper ReactionsThe White Paper on Energy, published at the end of February, created quite a stir, not so much for what was in it but as a consequence of what was left out. Although it did adopt most of the proposals in last years Cabinet Office PIU report, there was some backsliding, some, at least according to the media, involving what might be seen as unsavoury political compromises. Thus, just before the White paper was published, the Independent on Sunday (Feb 16th) reported that Tony Blair ‘blocked plans to produce a fifth of Britain’s electricity from renewable sources, in revenge for his failure to push through a programme of new nuclear power stations’. It claimed that ‘in cabinet discussions the Treasury opposed the new renewable targets, but was overruled ... More2. White Paper Inputs and OutputsSustainability: a way to goJust before the White Paper emerged, the Sustainable Development Commission produced an audit of the Government’s Climate Change Programme, which it claimed was in danger of failing to deliver on its key goal, a of a 20% cut in carbon dioxide emission by 2010. According to the Commission, the UK is unlikely to achieve even two-thirds of that reduction, and maybe less than half... MOREOffshore WindThree more offshore wind farms have been given approval, bringing the total to six, and the DTI has announced the results of the second round of the capital grant allocations for offshore wind, involving a total of £42m, £40m of it from the extra £60m allocated in the White Paper. In all, the projects currently with planning consent agreed will have 1.5GW of capacity, sufficient ... More4. Tidal Lagoon PushThe offshore tidal lagoon concept being promoted by the US company Tidal Electric for sites off the Welsh coast, won support from 56 MP’s who signed an Early Day Motion last Nov. It called the Houses attention to ‘the significant role that off shore tidal energy could play in this mix by utilising the enormous and entirely predictable power of the United Kingdom’s large tidal ranges; congratulates Tidal Electric on the development of a generator capable of producing commercial scale and cost-competitive amounts of renewable energy; notes that the technology has been used extensively in other countries and that its installations provide environmental benefits, including new habitats for marine wildlife; recognises also that there is widespread community support for its initial ... More5. UK 20GW over-capacity?The UK has more generating capacity than it needs by a wide margin- maybe 20GW or more. In answer to a parliamentary question on Dec 4th, Energy Minister Brian Wilson described the situation as follows. ‘Figures published in the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics, 2002 and on the DTI Energy Statistics website show that, at the end of December 2001, total UK generating capacity in declared net capacity terms (DNC) was 79,553 MW, of which 73,219 MW was owned by major power producers and 6,334 MW by other .. More
6. Coal is back The Mine gas optionOne current favourite ‘stop gap’ option is the capture of methane gas from old mines. It’s not exactly renewable, but it is clearly sensible to use this gas to generate energy rather than letting it vent into the atmosphere- methane has a much higher impact (by a factor of 21) on climate change than the carbon dioxide that would be produced by burning it. There has been some pressure for mine gas projects to be included in the Renewable Obligation. According the the Guardian (Jan13th), Cameron Davies, chairman of the Association of Coal Mine Methane Operators, has argued that if coalmine methane were included in the ... More7. £4.2m for Bio energyEleven bioenergy projects throughout the UK will receive a £4.2m boost through DTI grants. The DTI claimed that capital grants will ‘help establish bioenergy projects as a viable source for both industrial and domestic consumers to meet their heat requirements. They will also help to significantly increase current output from energy crops such as willow, poplar and elephant grass, as well as other sources of biomass like forestry residues.’... More8. Green Energy for LondonIn January, London’s Mayor, Ken Livingstone, formally published yet another version of his Draft Energy Strategy for London "Green Light to Clean Power", earlier consultation versions of which we have reviewed (see Renew 140). The new version suggests that London should ‘work towards reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide by 20% by 2010’, and should ... More9. Energy Efficiency- the record so farIn answer to parliamentary Question on Jan 27th, the DEFRA minister Mr. Morley noted that, since the publication of the UK’s Climate Change Programme in Nov. 2000, the following main actions have been taken to promote energy efficiency: The Climate Change Levy, a levy on the business use of fuel, was ... More10. £5.2 million for Community EnergyThe first capital bidding round for funding under the £50m Community Energy scheme in Spring 2002 released funds totalling £3.3 million. In the second round, the results of which were announced in Feb, 10 schemes to heat low income households, hospitals and other public buildings have received a £5.2 m. They should cut carbon emissions by 4,000 tonnes a year... More11. PV SolarNo Community PVThe Department of Trade and Industry’s new £10m "Clear Skies" Community & Household Renewable Energy grant scheme (see Renew 142) excludes both on and offgrid solar photovoltaics (PV), including, sadly, the hybrid Solartwin system, which uses PV to run the pump for a solar hear collector.... More12. International DevelopmentsRenewables in the USADespite the hostility of the US administration to Kyoto, renewables are still doing quite well in the USA. The US already had a large existing hydro capacity, but the development of the ‘new’ renewables has brought the total renewable generating capacity to more than 15% of total U.S. electricity generation capacity. Of the ‘new’ renewables, (i.e. apart from hydro), various types of energy crops have been developed most extensively (biomass represented 50% of the total renewable energy produced in the USA in 2002), followed by geothermal (6%) and wind and solar energy (both at 1% in 2002). Interestingly, according to the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA), the hydro share in 2002 was.... More.
WasteWith the prospects for new nuclear plants looking decidedly grim after the White Paper on Energy, attention has turned to what to do with the radioactive wastes that have been produced, and will still be produced, by the existing plants. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Meacher, had already indicated that over the next century they would amount to some 500,000 tonnes, including material produced from plant decomissioning. More
The Feature in Renew 143 is a special review of the recent interest that has been shown in the early days of the ‘Alternative Technology’ movement by management theorists, who argue that it may help show how ‘strategic niche markets’, can be managed and lead to changes in the wider technological regime. Fame at last! Moving up to date, there is an article in the Technology section on the idea of using offshore wind, wave and tidal arrays to help provide a protected environment for fish nursery and spawning areas. The Reviews section includes coverage of the new book from Amory Lovins- ‘Small is Profitable’ The Groups section includes contributions on the renewable energy skills and education issues- in the run up to the forthcoming EERU/NATTA Conference on this topic: ‘Creating the Renewable Energy Knowledge base’ May 13 at the OU – see EERU the Bulletin on the web site http://eeru.open.a.c.uk. |
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