Extracts from NATTA's journal
Renew, issue 144 July- Aug 2003

1. Rewire the UK for Renewables

Fleets of wind turbines located miles off the coastline will make a crucial contribution to the UK’s energy future, Energy Minister Brian Wilson told the British Wind Energy Association’s Offshore Wind 2003 conference in March. And he announced new allocations, of a total of £42m,

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2. Select Committee bites

The review of Non Fossil R&D produced by the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology was, as noted in Renew 143, very critical of the governments approach. It claimed that ‘the sums invested in public RD&D lack focus and are wholly insufficient in helping the UK meet its renewables targets, in absolute terms and in comparison with the UK’s competitors’. Consequently ‘there is no prospect of achieving the target of 10% renewable generation by 2010 or the aspiration of 20% by 2020.

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3. Green Party Alternative Energy Review

In April the Green Party launched what it called an ‘antidote’ to the Governments White Paper on Energy- the latter being seen as ‘green wash’, strong on spin but weak on substance. The Green Party emphasise energy efficiency as the most important aspect of a green policy and argue that more funds need to be allocated to Local Authorities to help them take a lead.

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4. £19m more for wave and tidal

Speaking at a major conference on renewable energy on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides in March, Brian Wilson, then still DTI Energy Minister, announced £19 million in new funding packages from both the Government and the private sector, to encourage the rapid development of renewable energy- and in particular wave and tidal technology.

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5. Scotlands Green Energy Revolution

The Scottish executive has confirmed its target of seeking to generate 40% of Scotland’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020- twice the overall UK aspiration. There were over 100 responses to the consultation on this proposal, with two-thirds of them in favour of adopting a target for 2020 now. The executive also announced that £2m is to be invested in the new Marine Energy Research Centre in Orkney and it set out plans for a new a high level Forum for Renewable Energy Development to push things rapidly forward.

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6. £28m for a Sustainable Energy Economy

‘Towards a sustainable energy economy’ is a new research programme designed to support the ‘Step Change’ towards sustainable energy promised in the White Paper on Energy. In addition to the establishment of a UK Energy Research Centre (£8-12m)- location yet to be chosen- and a linked network, there are new funds for interdisciplinary social science orientated research.

7.More Solar PV

Eighteen more solar photovoltaic projects for homes, schools, and leisure centres have been announced, as the third set of proposals approved under the DTI’s £20m Photovoltaic Demonstration Programme, which was launched a year ago. The projects will share £2 m in funding and will have a combined output of 565kWp. The winning projects include:

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8. RO buy-out price up but a missed opportunity for rapid growth

The energy regulator Ofgem, has set the buy-out price for the second year of the Renewables Obligation at £30.51 per MWh- only marginally (50p) more than in the first year. The buy-out price allows electricity suppliers to make up any shortfall between the amount of their obligation and the number of Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) they can earn by using renewably sourced power. It also, in effect, sets the value of the ROCs, which can be traded, and also imposes a ceiling ...

9. UK emissions fall by 3.5%

UK Greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 3.5% in 2002. According to the DTI, this drop is in line with the trend needed to ensure the UK meets its Kyoto target to reduce greenhouse gases to 12.5% below 1990 levels by 2012. CO2 emissions fell by 9% from 1990-2002, despite an overall energy consumption increase of 6.5% in that period, keeping the domestic Climate Change Programme goal of reducing CO2 to 20% below 1990 levels by 2010 firmly on the agenda. The DTI said that the CO2 drop ‘came at

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10. REGO green power certification

Producers of green power will soon be able to provide buyers with a guarantee that their electricity is from specified renewable sources, under a new European Union initiative. The Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) scheme will offer a certification system which is expected to be of interest to small generators seeking to sell electricity to eco-friendly consumers, and, as an EU-wide scheme, it will also guarantee green credentials to overseas customers. In the UK, it is proposed that an

11. £18m for five Bioenergy plants

£18.74m has been released from the Government’s Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme for five new plants fuelled by energy crops, wood and agricultural by-products in Somerset, Wiltshire Devon and Staffordshire. The biomass power plants should produce enough heat and electricity to meet the needs of over 90,000 homes- equivalent to a city the size of Southampton. Brian Wilson, then still Energy Minister, said: "The benefits of renewable energy are self-evident.

12. World Developments

German Solar gets more subsidies

Solar power, both for heating and electricity production, is booming in Germany thanks to some visionary subsidies, designed to help pump prime the market and create an expanding industry, which in turn should help get prices down. Juergen Trittin, Germany's Minister for the Environment, has raised the subsidies for solar thermal installations from 92 Euros to 125 Euros per

13. Nuclear Developments

Dounreay to go green?

With the prospects for new nuclear plants in the UK now very poor, following the recent White Paper on Energy, decommissioning is seen as one of the main growth areas for the UK nuclear industry. Dounreay, is the site of the UKAEA’s now defunct nuclear fast breeder programme, and it is trying to become a centre for decommisioning,

In the Rest of Renew 144

The Feature in Renew 144 looks at the issue of intermittency – with an extract from the new much expanded edition of Dave Elliott’s book ‘Energy, Society and Environment’ soon to be published by Routedge. There is an article by Catherine Streater in the Technology section on the idea of obtaining 100% of UK electricity from renewables and a review by Johnathan Scurlock of the problems facing the use of biomass as an energy source. The Reviews section includes coverage of Tony Blairs recent speech on Sustainable Development and coverage of a critical look at emission trading. The Groups section includes coverage of battles over wind power in England, Scotland and Wales.