Wind Energy Planning

Lib Dem Reveals Nuclear Decommissioning Liability

The Coalition Secretary of State for Energy has spoken out this week about huge legacy nuclear decommissioning costs. According to the Guardian Chris Huhne disclosed a £4bn black hole in what he described as ‘unavoidable’ nuclear power station decommissioning and waste costs.

Huhne has brought the costs to the attention of the Cabinet and pointed out that the total budget for the energy and climate change department is limited to £3bn annually. Huhne described his department as “not so much the Departement of Energy and Climate Change, as the Department of nuclear legacy and bits of other things“….He went on to say that what we are effectively paying for here is “decades of cheap nuclear electricity for which we have suddenly got a massive postdated bill“.

Liberal Conservative Coalition – What has been Agreed on Energy and Climate Change?

It’s official, the Conservatives have formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. As a result we have a Liberal Democrat cabinet minister for energy and climate change – Chris Huhne.

In 2007 Chris Hulne said “The doubling of our electricity generation from wind in a little more than a year shows what renewables can do, and gives the lie to the need for a new generation of nuclear power.“. It is ironic therefore that he will ultimately be responsible for nuclear power station planning applications.

What Could the UK Election Results Mean for future Energy Policy?

In the face of the first UK hung parliament since 1974, the media has been dominated by talks of what happens next.

A potential Conservative/ Lib Dem coalition has to date been the most discussed. We know however that the Conservatives and the Lib Dems have major policy differences on electoral reform, the economy and immigration.

Overall the Lib Dems appear to have more in common with Labour – from the timing of public spending cuts to electoral reform and creating a green economy. With the major Lib-Lab differences limited to ID cards and immigration, the match looks much cleaner. Labour however did poorly in the election and even with Gordon Brown offering to resign it looks like a deal with the Conservatives is the more realistic option on the table.

So -if the Conservatives and the Lib Dems do manage somehow to overcome their differences – what would be the outcome for UK energy policy?

EDF Drops Olympic Wind Turbine Bid

French owned electricity supply and generation company EDF decided not to bid for the London Olympic wind turbine project according to the London Evening Standard yesterday.

The nuclear giant EDF say that there is not enough wind to justify building the £2 million ($3.2m) turbine at the site close to London’s Hackney Marshes. Instead they have suggested installing one on the south coast at Weymouth – close to the Olympic sailing venue.

The Olympic Delivery Authority have however accepted a proposal from electricity supply rival company Ecotricity who says that there is enough wind for the wind turbine to be viable. Ecotricity openly criticised EDF last year for ’stealing’ its green union jack logo and using it to make them appear green, renewable and British.

UK Government Launches New Renewable Energy Strategy

The UK government today published the eagerly awaited Renewable Energy Strategy. The new strategy lays out plans to meet the UK target of producing 15% of the UK’s energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said: “Renewables, nuclear and clean fossil fuels are the trinity of low carbon and the future of energy in Britain. Under our plans we will get 40% of our electricity from low carbon energy by 2020 and more in the years afterwards.

“Our plan will strengthen our energy security, it seeks to be fair to the most vulnerable, it seizes industrial opportunity and it rises to the moral challenge of climate change.

“In five months, the world must come together at Copenhagen and follow through on the commitment of world leaders last week to stop dangerous climate change. Today we have shown how Britain will play its part.” We need to all-but eliminate carbon from electricity by 2050“.

French Nuclear Giant and British Wind Energy Company in ‘Green Union Jack’ War

The marketing of a new “Green Union Jack” has sparked off an argument between two electricity companies today.

Wind energy company Ecotricity have accused utility giant Electricite de France of stealing ‘its’ green union jack. EDF energy are using the flag for its advertising posters and on its service vehicles despite Ecotricity using a similar image on their service vehicles for 3 years.

French state owned nuclear company EDF energy is the “sustainability partner” of the 2012 Olympic Games in London and is using the green union flag to launch its first annual Green Britain Day and asking schools and others to join “Team Green Britain”.

McCain Pushes for Nuclear to be classed as Renewable Energy

According to AllGov today, John McCain is trying to brand nuclear power – a renewable source of energy.

Members of the U.S. Senate are drafting a plan which would require utilities to supply 15% of their power from renewable energy sources by 2021 – shadowing a fiscal instrument that currently exists in the UK.

The proposals have led to a discussion over what defines a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). Senator John McCain attempted to change the requirement so that nuclear power is included in this definition of renewable energy.

Promoting Energy Development? The New Planning Regime

Will the new planning regime be fit to deliver the significant number of new energy projects we will desperately need over the coming years? This was the question discussed at a seminar in London yesterday hosted by GL Hearn and RSK.

The UK government proposed a number of changes through the 2008 Planning Act including the controversial introduction of new government quango – The Infrastructure Planning Commission or IPC. The effectiveness of the new system and the IPC will be crucial to the delivery of large renewable energy projects, nuclear and electricity lines.

Nuclear Power Station Proposals Threaten Wind Farm

German utility giant RWE caused a stir yesterday by threatening to move a UK community wind farm. The company may want to move the wind turbines to make way for its new nuclear power station at Kirkstanton in Cumbria, England.

Scotland Embraces Renewable Energy but Fights Against Nuclear Energy Imposition

The Scots do not hold back when it comes to renewable energy. Scotland’s Chief Scientific adviser, Anne Glover, speaking on BBC Politics confirmed this week that Scotland has the scientific and engineering skills to develop 40% of Europe’s renewable energy potential.

MSP Rob Gibson a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Transport and Climate Change Committee – welcomed Prof. Glover’s comments and said “Every penny wasted on new nuclear technology would be a penny less for the development of clean, green energy.

UK Nuclear Power Stations and Large Wind Farms will not be Rushed Through

The UK Government’s Planning Bill proposes a new Infrastructure Planning Committee (IPC) which will be responsible for decisions on big infrastructure projects such as nuclear power stations, new airport terminals and large wind energy projects.

The aim of the Planning Bill and this new IPC Committee is to speed up planning decisions, however it is obvious that lumping large wind energy projects, nuclear power stations and airports under the same system is going to bring trouble, particularly as there is no way that the UK government will get away with not giving the general public their human rights to speak at a public hearing.