If one is to believe ITM Power’s CEO, Jim Heathcote’s words, wind farms are certainly not a solution to UK’s requirement of green energy. Wind farms are useless when there is no wind. So, in the absence of sufficient wind, a conventional power has to make up for the output loss. Since winds are always intermittent, they cannot compensate for stable energy requirements.

He further pointed out that solar and wind power generation are totally useless, unless there is way to store their excess energy output when the conditions are suitable. It is tragic that proponents of renewable energy are ignoring such a vital part of the issue. Without storage capability, solar and wind power generation do not offer a practical solution to energy security. It is pointless to install new wind turbines, if you also need to simultaneously install conventional power back-up stations when the turbines are not turning.

The practical solution to a reliable green energy source, according to Jim Heathcote, is hydrogen. Electricity can be converted to hydrogen gas and stored. The hydrogen gas can be used directly as a heat source for domestic boilers and cookers. It can be used as fuel for automotives. Also, it can be converted back to electricity through a fuel cell or a generator.

He believes that large scale deployment of solar and wind energy power plants should be held in abeyance till the development of energy storage solutions.

ITM Power is the largest fuel cell development and electrolyser company in Europe.

Please visit www.itm-power.com for more details

MP Anthony Steen has demanded an explanation from the electricity company for charging £67,500 from a South Hams hotel. He has also asked Vincent Derivaz, the CEO of EDF, to check the possibility of a faulty meter reading.

The MP said that situation may be similar to what had happened recently with the Cornish Pasty Company. They were given a bill of £40,000 by EON without any major increase in their energy consumption.

The 22-bedroom Soar Mill Cove Hotel is run by Keith Makepeace and his family. The family run hotel, located near Kingsbridge, has been given an initial explanation by EDF. The energy company has apologised but added that they have been reading the meter incorrectly. The last digit of the meter was erroneously being read as a 10^th of a unit. So if the meter was so far being read as 90,000 units, it will now be read as 900,000 units.

Anthony Steen has told EDF that apparently the error is continuing for last ten years. Legally, any debt more than six years old cannot be collected. He stressed that a consumer cannot be made to pay for the company’s negligence.

Mr Makepeace said that he is shocked by the bill. They have written to the energy company, asking for information on when did the first ‘error’ took place. No reply has been received from EDF so far. However, an EDF spokesman has offered a 25% reduction in bill along with an apology for the inconvenience. But nobody from the company has spoken or communicated directly with Mr Makepeace till now.

Please visit www.edfenergy.com for more details

John Hutton, the Business Secretary believes that nuclear power is indispensable to the energy requirement of United Kingdom. Speaking at Nuclear Development Forum on September 18, he expressed government’s wholehearted support for upcoming nuclear power projects.

He said that nuclear power plants will help in reducing carbon emissions and dependence on gas and oil imports.

UK government has recently set up an office to enable creation of suitable conditions for upcoming nuclear power projects. John Hutton expressed his full support towards installation of new nuclear power plants.  According to him, it will create more than 100,000 new jobs and bring in investment from private sector in excess of 20 billion pounds. Resurgence of nuclear power is already happening all around the world. Britain stands to gain from this renewed interest in nuclear energy power generation.

According to official figures, China plans to install 24 more nuclear plants. Another 76 are in proposal stage. Being at the forefront of nuclear technology, British companies are ideally placed to provide the necessary skills and equipment. But nuclear renaissance will also bring in competition. So UK has to ensure its competitiveness. There is need for a focussed effort towards its building capacity as well as capability to grasp the upcoming opportunities in nuclear field. The government will play its role in facilitating the right environment for British companies.

The new nuclear development office will play a pivotal role in ensuring nuclear power development within Britain as well as abroad. It will fill gaps in capability of British companies in terms of development of operators and vendors. It will also oversee the supply chain management.

The controversial plan of installing wind turbines at a scenic spot of Derbyshire has been approved after a public inquiry. A proposal was forwarded by Carsington Wind Energy nearly two years ago to install 4 wind turbines near Carsington Water. The District Council of Derbyshire Dales had refused permission for 330 feet high turbines in July last year.

The company had then approached Planning Inspectorate in September 2007 to get a ruling. Despite protests from local councillors and campaigners, orders were passed to hold a public inquiry into the issue. Based on its inquiry, the inspectorate has given its approval for the proposed plan.

One of the 25 conditions is that the development must start within five years. They also include restriction on noise levels.

The Hopton Action Group and Protect Carsington group had gathered a petition with 1,400 names against the proposal. 61 years old Peter Gibbon, Chairman of Carsington Bird Club expressed his surprise at the inspectorate’s approval. He stated that nation’s fear of running out of energy sources is overriding local issues. The project is going to severely affect the wild life Carsington. The inquiry’s view that turbines will have very little, if any, effect on local wild life, including birds, is wrong according to him.

Mr Brooks claims that the inquiry had looked into various objections, including effect on surrounding landscape, tourism and renewable energy targets.

The company can now proceed with building the turbines, one substation and other associated development.

Rising energy prices are going to cost Scottish authorities in millions of pounds during next year. Cosla, a local government body, has said that downturn of housing market, coupled with high energy costs  will require most of Scottish councils to save up to 8 million pounds to pay their energy bills.

Scottish government accepted the situation but said that the solution has to come from Westminster and not from Holyrood.

Aberdeenshire Council is likely to pay £804,000 more next year as compared to the current financial year. Some departments can afford to under spend while others already have a larger sum earmarked for next year. For example, education and learning services are likely to spend a million pounds extra next year for transportation of special needs students whose number has already seen a big rise. The council expects its fuel bill for escort provision to go up by £300,000 than budgeted. Heating and lighting of council buildings, including schools, is going to cost a million ponds more than planned and up to three million pounds more next year.

A few councils have safeguarded themselves from high energy bills. Kinross and Perth council have a fixed price contract towards the electricity bill up to the financial year 2010-11. So they will be somewhat shielded from recent hikes.  The council has also drawn out plans on reducing the energy consumption by 5 percent per year.

Angus council is likely to face budgetary constraints to tune of five to six million pounds in the current year itself due to high energy bills.

The CEO of Ofgem has dismissed claims that by charging for electricity transmission, it is hampering the growth of renewable energy projects in Scotland. The denial has come as a response to a statement of Jim Mather, the energy minister of Scottish government. Jim Mather has called imposition of electricity transmission charges was an unfair practice.

The present system is location based. For example, a power station located in Scotland pays roughly 25 million pounds more per year towards transmission of electricity than other power station located in Yorkshire. This, according to Jim Mather, is an unfair charge for renewable energy plants as they are located as per suitability to generate green energy. Unlike conventional energy projects, green energy plants are located away from the demand areas.

But Ofgem’s CEO, Alistair Buchanan, disagrees. He said that not a single project is known to be held up for the reasons of transmission charges. He believes that planning of renewable energy system and the queue for connecting with the national grid is proving to be a much bigger hurdle to their development.

Jim Mather said that a written communication has been forwarded to National Grid and Ofgem asking them to incorporate a flat rate system for transmission charges. The system has to be fair to renewable energy projects to enable their growth, development and investment.

Jason Ormitson, the CEO of Scottish Renewables stated that the proposal will test the support of National Grid and Ofgem towards green energy.

Please visit www.ofgem.gov.co.uk for more

A report, advising UK government to extend the period for using nuclear and coal based power plants has been dismissed as ‘overstated’ and ‘naïve’ by Energy Secretary and Greenpeace  respectively.

Ian Fells is a Newcastle University’s professor and a veteran analyst of energy policy. He had urged the government in his report that installation of new coal based power plants should be continued despite climate change concerns. He pointed out that current endeavours in renewable energy power plants will create a shortfall in meeting the demand. He also said that it will create job losses running into hundreds of thousands.

Greenpeace called the report as ‘naïve’, adding that it is opposite of what the other nations and world’s scientific community have recommended. It stressed that the world is racing against time as far as climate change and carbon emissions are concerned. Going back to 20th century technology for energy requirement would be naïve. New jobs are being created by adopting green energy resources for power generation. So the issue of job losses just does not arise.

John Hutton, the energy secretary said that secure and clean energy is a top priority for UK. Future prosperity and existence depends on it. Ian Fells has understated government’s efforts in securing energy independence and overstated the fear of energy shortfall. Britain is increasing its investment in renewable by ten times. To be energy independent is a strong factor in national security. Tough decisions are required to ensure reliable energy supplies.

Manchester University has been given £5 million in donation to carry out research to make nuclear power generation more safe and efficient.

The money will go towards training of new nuclear plants workers, purchase of new equipment and creation of more research posts.

UK government has already approved construction of ten new nuclear power plants by 2020. The approval is based on apprehensions about future supply oil and gas, their high cost and effect on environment. As per EU agreement, all coal and oil based power generation is to be decommissioned by 2020. The renewable energy generation is not likely to meet the complete demand by then.

British Nuclear Fuels’ donation to Manchester University has evoked the predictable reaction from environmental campaigners. They say that more thrust should be given to research in renewable energy production than nuclear.

John Dalton Institute of Manchester University is a leading nuclear research centre of the country. The generous donation is hoped to bring new advances in safety and efficiency of nuclear power generation.

The news of donation came as the university launched an investigation into death of its two lecturers. Both used to work close to the room which Nobel Prize winning nuclear scientist Ernest Rutherford used for researching dangerous radioactive materials.

Manchester University’s president, Alan Gilbert welcomed the donation and said that it will strengthen university’s position in the nuclear field. The university has more than 100 years of work done in nuclear research, starting from Ernest Rutherford up to the present day.

According to a report, UK could face long hours of power cuts within next five years if necessary action isn’t initiated now. The main reason cited for such eventuality is that by 2020, country’s one third power generation capacity would be decommissioned and the current plans do not cater to timely substitution of this demand.

The report, commissioned by industrialist Andrew Cook and submitted by Fells Associates, raises serious doubts about efficacy of dependence on renewable energy production. It also states that new nuclear power plants would not be available in time to cater to the demand.

Candida Whitmill, who is a co-author of the report, pointed out that the ‘energy gap’ would have serious economic consequences.

The report lists out a number of reasons which will contribute to the this energy gap. They include losing 23GW of generation capacity by 2020, ageing nuclear reactors and EU’s directive to shut down oil and coal powered generating plants.

The report further states that UK government does not have a clear energy policy to tackle the energy requirement versus the generation issue. It questions government’s subsidies for renewable energy production.

John Hutton, the energy secretary has termed the report to be overstating the risks. He said that becoming energy independent was a matter of national priority. Renewable energy is the demand of 21^st century economics and deserves all the support it can get. Greenpeace responded by saying that renewable energy projects are creating thousands of jobs and are helping to control climate change.

EDF has come up with a new offer of more than £12 billion which could seal the deal for its acquisition of British Energy during this week.

The French Energy giant would table its revised offer today. It is being anticipated that British Energy could accept the offer and the merger issue might get resolved this week. EDF’s earlier bid in July was rejected by some of the key shareholders of British Energy as being ‘undervalued’. The fresh offer is likely to include a 775p per share cash offer and a stake in company’s future profits. If British Energy’s board accepts the offer, EDF’s could go ahead at its scheduled board meeting on September 17 in Paris and the merger could happen with the next few days.

EDF has insisted that it does not want any last-minute problems. The previous time, when it had offered 765p cash per share or 700p and shares of future profits, the offer was rejected at the last minute by two rebel shareholders. M&G and Invesco Perpetual had unexpectedly voted against the merger move by saying that the offer has undervalued UK’s largest wholesale energy producer.

The wholesale energy costs were high in July. But subsequent fall in input costs have blunted their argument. It is believed that Invesco Perpetual, which holds 15% stake in British Energy, may have given its tentative support to the revised offer. UK government, holding 35% stake, is already in favour of EDF. The only question that remains is about M&G’s acceptance, which holds 7% stake.

Please visit www.british-energy.com and www.edfenergy.com for more