September 2008

A Pragmatic Energy Policy for the UK

At a Press conference on September 16th, leading energy experts Professor Ian Fells and Candida Whitmill presented a damning report on the UK Government's failure to deal with the forthcoming energy gap. In particular the report condemns the Government's reliance on renewable energy, particularly wind.

The Report - " A Pragmatic Energy Policy for the UK" can be downloaded from http://fellsassociates.awardspace.com/site/LinkedDocuments/Pragmatic%20Energy%20Policy1.pdf

The Executive Summary and Conclusion of this report are available on this website at Fells Summary

Over the last 25 years successive governments have failed to form a coherent, realistic and structured energy policy for the UK. The business and industrial community, which has already been forced to accept energy prices far in excess of its European counterparts, is now expressing grave disquiet.

Piecemeal legislation has resulted in a crisis situation for both short-term and long- term energy supply in the UK. Industry insiders predict major shortages within the next five years.

They explained how the current short-term and long-term crisis of energy supply in the UK has developed and will present realistic solutions in the short-term that will keep the lights on, as well as proposals for a longer- term strategy post 2020. .

Prof Ian Fells, internationally acclaimed energy expert, explains how  unrealistic “green” aspirations and wishful thinking about unachievable quantities of offshore wind generation has led to under-investment in energy base load infrastructure to replace the loss of one third of generating capacity over the next decade which the UK faces.

“The report discloses a staggering lack of understanding of the technical and engineering reality of what can be built within a short time scale. The default position with the current policy is more gas, with all the political uncertainties on availability and price that implies,” says Professor Fells, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

“All in all it will be a close run thing to provide electricity to keep the lights on through the next decade. A coherent strategic plan, as laid out in our “Route Map to Energy Survival” in the Report should do the trick”, Prof Fells says.

The Renewable Energy Foundation publishes the report on the UK Government's support system for renewables.

"It seems to the authors of this paper that the answer to these questions is that the Renewables Obligation is, as Ofgem and the National Audit Office have observed, both counterproductive and very poor value for money"

.
John Constable
Bob Barfoot
5 September 2008

Read the Report at: http://www.ref.org.uk/Files/rb.jc.ref.roc.05.09.08.pdf

Dale Vince Fails to beat wind power record because of intermittent wind

Windfarm developer, New Age Man, and boss of Ecotricity, Dale Vince attempted to break the Wind Power Speed Record. Unfortunately he was defeated by lack of wind!

"A team that had hoped to break the world land-speed record for a wind-powered vehicle is blaming climate change for its failure. Uncharacteristic heavy rain over Lake LeFroy in Western Australia has left the attempt high and dry. Britons Dale Vince and Richard Jenkins had hoped to see their carbon-neutral vehicle, Greenbird, beat the record of 116mph (187kmph). They say they will now attempt the world ice yacht speed record in 2009".

Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7610786.stm

Stand by for advances in health and climate research as the ‘big bang’ machine starts up

"Cern’s latest research project may prove the most controversial. It is building a laboratory to investigate the theory that the rate of cloud formation in the atmosphere is linked to the level of cosmic rays.

Cloud formation is a vital component of climate and weather, and the project could place Cern at the heart of the debate on whether other factors besides greenhouse gases are involved in climate change.

The researchers will use a proton beam from the proton synchrotron to simulate cosmic rays, firing them into a so-called “cloud chamber” to see whether mini clouds form.

Bob Bingham, professor of physics at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, who is involved with the project, said: “If the beams cause cloud formation it will suggest a link between cosmic rays and climate which has interesting implications.”

Read more at: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4692222.ece

August 2008

The Energy Crunch

The summer of 2008 has been remarkable for the collapse of confidence in the Brown Government, and the growing impact of the "Credit Crunch".
But in the last few weeks another bombshell has blown up in the Government's face. The Energy Crunch was triggered off by the failure of British Energy and EDF to agree the terms of a merger, but it has revealed a whole range of problems, some resulting from external events, but others are a direct result of Government policies:

• Lack of any clear policy on Nuclear Energy
• Basically no policy at all the development of clean coal, in particular the technology of Carbon Capture and Storage
• An over-dependence on gas, increasingly from foreign sources as North Sea oil and gas runs out
• Neglect of infrastructure(e.g. storage) to handle imported gas
• Pursuit of wind energy to the detriment of other types of renewable energy (Wave, solar, tidal, underwater turbines, etc. etc.)
• Neglect of infrastructure for wind farms, in particular grid infrastructure for offshore and Scottish wind farms
• Culpable ignorance of the need to back up intermittent wind with up to 90% of reliable energy (nuclear or fossil fuels)
• Allowing the wind industry to overstate the CO2 emissions savings from wind by 60% long after the ASA established that its claims were false
• The Government’s scheme for subsidising the over-priced windfarms (The Renewables Obligation) is encouraging the building of windfarms in places without enough wind, and is leading to an unacceptable stealth tax on electricity users, including those in fuel poverty.

In July 2008 the Government’s BERR Department published a consultation document “UK Renewable Energy Strategy”, 289pp) which is a belated attempt to remedy the situation. Too little too late, as usual.

There has been a considerable amount of press comment about the Energy Crunch and the renewables (non)-policy, covering most of the points in the list above. Some of these are listed below, with a brief overview and a web link to article itself.

Dithering ministers saddle us with an energy crunch.

Jill Kirby, director of the Centre for Policy Studies

" Why are we consuming our vital gas reserves in this way? Because this government has spent the past 11 years dithering over its energy policy. Unable to take any decision on nuclear power until its late conversion in 2006, Labour has also been too nervous of the green lobby to agree to new coal-fired power stations. At present, coal provides more than a third of our electricity, with about 20% from nuclear. Wind power accounts for 1%, with about 3% from other renewables, such as hydro and biofuels. Nearly half of our nuclear and coal-fired power stations will be phased out during the next 6-8 years. Even if we can succeed in building the thousands of wind turbines that the government has promised, the inconstancy of wind generation means that they must be backed up by conventional power sources".

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4449120.ece

Failure of British Energy takeover deal throws nuclear power plans into disarray - The rejection of EDF’s bid creates another gap in our power supplies

Dominic O’Connell

"Analysts said the failure of the deal left Britain facing an even more uncertain energy situation. David Hunter, energy analyst at McKinnon & Clarke, said: “EDF’s purchase of British Energy was the government’s get-out-of-jail- free card. There are tough decisions to be made, as the reality is that Britain will run short of power. Our crumbling infrastructure and lack of political will to sort this out have left assets ripe for picking off by larger European energy companies”. “It is our view that the government must swing its weight behind getting new stations built, and not just nuclear. Coal will be part of the solution — allied to carbon-capture technology — in addition to renewables."

 http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/article4449236.ece

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/
article4449236.ece?token=null&offset=12&page=2

Britain 's energy crisis: Twisting in the wind

Danny Fortson. Business Journalist and Business Correspondent of The Independent

“To meet the targets for renewables, industry will have to spend £100 billion by 2020”

" Rocketing gas prices — up 35% last week — have put the spotlight on Britain ’s looming energy crisis. With North Sea oil and gas running out, we are becoming dependent on imports and risk being left at the mercy of world prices.”

“The government hopes two new sources of power, wind and nuclear, will bolster Britain ’s supply and at the same time help to meet ambitious targets to cut greenhouse-gas emissions.

Both are in trouble. The planned expansion of wind power is being held up by a myriad of obstacles from planning objections to electricity grid constraints. The cost of investment is huge and likely to lead to even more rises in household electricity bills. And last week the French pulled out of negotiations to buy British Energy, which runs our nuclear power stations, plunging the sector into uncertainty. "

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article4449130.ece

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/
article4449130.ece?token=null&offset=12&page=2

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/
article4449130.ece?token=null&offset=24&page=3

Tide turns for wave power as four rival systems go on test

Ben Laurance

“A firm quoted on London ’s Alternative Investment Market believes it is on to the next big thing in carbon-neutral energy — wave power. Ocean Power Technologies believes that it has found the next big thing in carbon-neutral energy

WIND POWER faces difficult obstacles, but its supporters can at least point to wind farms already in operation. By contrast, tidal power, often touted as an environmentally friendly alternative, has struggled”.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/article4449287.ece

Host of new pylons to carry wind farm power. There must be thousands of miles of new cables

Jonathan Leake. Environment Editor, Sunday Times

More than 30GW (gigawatts) of wind power are planned by 2020
Most turbines will be built in areas such as Scotland and the North Sea

New cables and pylons are needed to take electricity to southern markets.

In Britain , 72.000 pylons carry an estimated 14,000 miles of cable

Underground cables cost about 20 times more to lay than pylon”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4449528.ece

UK Renewable Energy Strategy - Consultation

BERR June 2008

Strategy

“We expect the key growth area to be wind power, both on and offshore. Analysis on electricity constraints suggests that up to 33 GW of offshore wind might be achievable by 2030. 6 However, our initial modelling suggests that by 2020 deployment may be closer to 14 GW, compared to less than 1 GW today. This would equate to around 3,000 extra offshore turbines of 5 MW.”

“ Our initial modelling suggests that we might need approximately 14 GW of onshore wind too, compared to 2GW today – equating to around 4,000 new 3 MW onshore turbines in addition to the approximately 2,000 turbines already installed”

Consultation ends on 26 th September 2008

Read the full report at:

http://renewableconsultation.berr.gov.uk/

Cameron on Windfarms – video clip from a Question and Answer Session in Cornwall

Western Morning News     31/07/08


http://www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk/davidcameron.html

Allan Nunn of Cornwall,  a long-time campaigner against industrial wind turbines, puts  his question live to David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party.
Watch the video and hear Cameron say that he is not against industrial wind turbines, even onshore.  Quite recently the Conservatives said they would remove subsidies from onshore windfarms. Cameron says he favours a subsidy based on feed-in tariffs*, with the profits going to local community.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed-in_Tariff

Government admits that wind energy is ineffective.

Excerpt from Hansard, House of Lords, 23 June 2008 : Column 1224. [Baroness Vadera is Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform]

 Lord Stoddart of Swindon : My Lords, have the Government had discussions with the national grid about their policy of building thousands of wind turbines? Is not the national grid concerned about the connection of these wind turbines and will it not require additional conventional capacity to be built to cover the time when the wind is not turning them?

Baroness Vadera: My Lords, my noble friend makes a valid point. In answer to the question that was asked earlier, wind generation is intermittent and therefore needs—may I use a technical term?—base-load capacity, which means we need to build for coal and gas to back up the wind. That is why it is not the most effective source in terms of energy security of supply, but it is very effective for climate change.

Read the subsequent letter from Lord Stoddart in the Western Morning News

Claimed and Realistic Carbon Dioxide Emissions Savings

An independent evaluation report prepared at the request by the CLOWD Windfarm Action Group.

Prepared by Michael Jefferson, a world expert on Renewable Energy.

This report demolishes the inaccurate claims about CO2 emissions savings which are still being made by windfarm developers and BWEA. It covers the power station fossil fuel mix which determines the CO2 savings, also load factors and number of households served.

This is a goldmine for windfarm action groups

Michael Jefferson’s report is at:

http://www.clowd.org.uk/pages/clowdCarbonSavings.htm

Switch to windpower could add £6 billion a year to fuel bills

Jonathan Leake. Environment Editor, Sunday Times

" The switch to windpower could see £6 billion a year added to the nation’s power bills by 2020 - equivalent to around £250 per household, the government’s own figures have revealed.

The money would be used to support a system of lucrative subsidies to the power companies that build and operate wind turbines.

It would also support the installation of 7,000 new wind turbines. At current prices it means each turbine could generate more profit from subsidy than from the sale of the power generated. "

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4485808.ece

Britain Leads The World In Global Warming Madness

Britain’s dangerously flawed energy policy

Britain’s Climate Madness - Ruth Lea

"On June 26, 2008, the Prime Minister unveiled his Government’s renewable energy strategy for building a “low carbon economy”. This will involve the building of 7,000 wind turbines (3,000 at sea, and 4,000 on land) by 2020, expand other renewable energy, such as micro-generation, tidal- and wave-power, and will require £100bn of investment from the private sector (heavily subsidised by the consumer). Nuclear power will also be encouraged. The centre piece of the strategy is the planned expansion of wind turbines, which are almost universally disliked by those who have to live near to them.
But, aesthetics aside, the strategy is unworkable, expensive, and irresponsible."

Read the article

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1. The Campaign against Windfarms
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