The UK could face power shortages in the years ahead, according to the energy regulator, Ofgem.
The regulator also warned that a significant number of consumers may not be able to afford the higher energy prices they would have to face.
Ofgem said there was "reasonable doubt" about whether the UK's energy market would be able to deliver sustainable supplies in the coming decade. Click here to read more on the BBC website
Tenfold renewables increase to propel UK toward low carbon future Green energy blueprint to create 160,000 jobs. A national renewable energy blueprint designed to slash carbon emissions dramatically, reduce the UK's dependency on oil and gas and claim a valuable share of global green business opportunity was set out by Business Secretary John Hutton today. Click here to read more on the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform website
Prime Minister’s speech on a low carbon economy
Gordon Brown has outlined the changes and opportunities a low carbon economy would bring to the UK in a speech to the Government's Low Carbon Economy Summit on London's South Bank. Click here to read more on the 10 Downing Street website
Danish Isle Runs Completely on Renewable Energy, Is Greenest Guinea Pig Ever
In this week's New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert wrote about the Danish isle of Samsø, which over the past 10 years, has gone from exclusively using fossil fuel energy sources, to living exclusively off renewable energy. Using a combination of onshore and offshore turbines, private mini-turbines, solar panels, straw-burning furnaces and biofuels, the 4,300-resident island has become a sort of a sandbox for green experimentation. Click here to read more
Benn announces £10m anaerobic digestion programme
Hilary Benn has announced a £10 million fund to establish several commercial-scale anaerobic digestion plants to demonstrate the technology to potential investors.
I am really keen to try and make sure that agricultural feed stock and food waste can be treated in the same place by getting farmers and local councils to work together.
Hilary Benn
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs made the announcement on Monday to the Centenary Conference of the National Farmers' Union, expressing his hope that farmers will take a major role in the project.
He stressed the opportunities that could be gained by local authorities working closely with farmers in AD plants, to divert both agricultural wastes and food waste from landfill.
Mr Benn, whose Department last year oversaw a new English Waste Strategy that identified anaerobic digestion as a favoured technology to treat food waste, said there was "a lot of potential" in the process.
He pointed to its production of renewable energy, reduction in uncontrolled methane emissions from agriculture and the diversion of organic waste - "especially food waste" - from landfill.
The Secretary of State said: "Those who are working on this already have told us that we need to show more people this technology operating if we are to get more investment. Demonstration plants are a great way to do this."
He said Defra would provide £10 million for "a number of commercial-scale anaerobic digestion demonstration plants". The funding is to come from the Environmental Transformation Fund - the fund created by the Treasury to support low-carbon technologies in the wake of the 2006 Stern Review of the economics of climate change.
Mr Benn added: "I am really keen to try and make sure that agricultural feed stock and food waste can be treated in the same place by getting farmers and local councils to work together."
Details on the £10 million fund would be released by Defra soon, according to the Secretary of State.
The UK has a handful of anaerobic digestion facilities that accept municipal food waste, including the Greenfinch plant in Shropshire, Biffa's plant in Leicestershire, the Biogen plant in Bedfordshire and the Earth Tech plant in the Western Isles.
There are also commercial waste-only plants already in operation, such as the large Summerleaze facility in Devon as well as smaller farm-scale plants, including those in farms around Dumfries. From letsrecylcle.com
Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks, speaks at NFU Conference about potential of anaerobic digestion
This week's NFU conference at London's Hilton Hotel also saw the energy minister Malcolm Wicks highlighting the potential for anaerobic digestion facilities as renewable energy "micro-generators" for farmers.
Mr Wicks said at a local level individual farms and rural communities would be able to use facilities "to make a tangible contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and tackling climate change".
The minister pointed to the changes in the government's subsidy programme for green energy, the Renewables Obligation, underway through the Energy Bill currently going through Parliament, saying the revised Obligation would give more support to anaerobic digestion.
Referring to the current anaerobic digestion storyline on BBC Radio 4's The Archers, Mr Wicks told his agricultural audience: "This is a win-win situation for both rural communities and the UK's fight against climate change. For example, I am reliably informed that if Adam and Debbie from The Archers are able to export electricity from their proposed anaerobic digestion plant to the Grid, they will receive the top level of support through the reform of the Renewables Obligation." From letsrecylcle.com
Plans to launch Tiverton Energy Centre – a ‘Centre of Excellence'
for the production of renewable electricity and fuel for the Tiverton
community
Plans to create a new centre for renewable energy could make Tiverton
the country's greenest town.
Tiverton Energy Centre is one of the most exciting
sustainable community developments of its kind in the UK. By using
waste products and agricultural crops from Tiverton and the surrounding
area, the centre will produce electricity and fuels as well as
fertiliser for growing local crops and food.
The aim over the next 5 years is to make Tiverton's 20,000 population
100% non-dependant on fossil fuels.
“The project will transform Tiverton into a ‘zero waste to landfill'
town resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions,” explained
Winston Reed, a local farmer and founder of Greener for Life which
is behind the plans. “It will help to reduce our impact on the
environment and slow down climate change. It will even reduce waste
disposal costs for every household and could help to reduce Council
Tax charges!”
The plant will ultimately have the potential to provide Tiverton
with enough electricity for up to 10,000 homes, and enough bio
fuels to run the equivalent of nearly 14,000 cars a year – all
from regionally grown crops which will add to the area's sustainability.
“Tiverton Energy Centre will provide sustainable fuel and food
security, something which could become more important in the not
too distant future. It will provide Tiverton with employment, tourism
and education opportunities. An added benefit means that the extra
revenue created will be kept within the Mid Devon Community creating
local regeneration and wealth.”
Tiverton Energy Centre will be built in stages over the next 5
years, starting with an Anaerobic Digestion plant. Biofuels, wind
generation and biomass will follow subject to environmental and
planning concerns, followed by the newer technologies of hydrogen
production and algae for biodiesel.
The Tiverton Energy Centre will be a show case for
the UK and is expected to cost a total of £25 million over the
next 6 years. It will be located at Gibbet Moor Farm, six miles
out of town off the A361.
Plans are well under way for the development of the Energy Centre
and it is hoped, subject to planning and other environmental protection
controls, that it will begin to generate power and produce fuel
in 2009. A further 2 Energy Centres are currently being proposed
in the London M25 area and within the South West.
Torridge Vale goes Green
Greener
for Life have secured a major deal with the 60 million litre
milk co-operative Torridge Vale Ltd. Following a Greener for Life
Accreditation process demonstrating sustainable production and
reduced environmental impact in balance with nature, the Co-op's
products will carry the Greener for Life branding. Discussions
are being held with processors and retailer to allow the consumer
to benefit from the higher standards of production and the greater
environmental benefits of these products.
This is a first whereby Torridge vale will base the milk price
paid on an environmental impact score. The score will be based
on sustainability, carbon footprint, recycling, renewable energy,
bio-diversity and community involvement.
Nick Rogers, chairman of Torridge vale Farmers says “Although
carbon footprinting is good in terms of measuring a cow’s
carbon `hoofprint`, it does not give you the total answer in
terms of sustainability or a financial incentive to reduce
it. This is why we have chosen the Greener for Life accreditation
scheme.”
He continues, ”The scheme looks across all the environmental
impacts from waste management to renewable energy. It not only
improves standards on the farm and reduces costs; it also adds
considerable value to the end product.”
Hilary Benn has announced a £10 million fund to establish several commercial-scale anaerobic digestion plants to demonstrate the technology to potential investors.