Horizon
Hundreds of new jobs could be created in Gloucestershire after Horizon Nuclear Power was granted planning permission for new headquarters at Gloucester Business Park. The Hitachi-owned firm will have space for 600 employees at their new offices in Brockworth when they are completed by spring 2016. Almost 150 staff are employed by the firm, and Horizon have confirmed staff numbers will reach at least 400 when they move into their new home.
Gloucestershire Echo 11th Aug 2014 read more »
Hinkley
A site has been secured and building work will begin soon on an innovation centre in Bridgwater, Somerset County Council has announced. The Low Carbon Energy Innovation and Collaboration Centre is to be built on land at Woodlands Business Park. The site will offer offices and workspace for companies involved in the construction of the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. Preparatory work is to begin next week, with the centre opening in summer 2015.
BBC 10th Aug 2014 read more »
Moorside
Many thanks to everyone who came along on the walk today. We spoke to people out walking their dogs from the lovely village of Beckermet who had no idea that the Moorcide plan involved such a vast area of green fields, wetlands, coppice and hedgerows. One local lady astounded at the plan asked Radiation Free Lakeland to put a map of the area in the Whitehaven news so that people would realise the extent. We have written to the press time and again with maps and images of the area being proposed for sacrifice – all ignored.
Radiation Free Lakeland 8th Aug 2014 read more »
Energy Costs
Ofgem has rejected charges from five former electricity and gas industry regulators that its actions contributed to the profit and price increases made by the Big Six and now under investigation by the new Competition and Markets Authority.(CMA) The regulator blamed the former ‘watchdogs’ for causing the current problems and claimed its actions had made the market simpler, fairer and clearer.
Telegraph 11th Aug 2014 read more »
An alliance of former energy regulators has accused Ofgem of making the market less competitive and increasing fuel poverty. The thinly disguised criticisms were made in a joint submission to the Competition and Markets Authority the new watchdog, as it begins its investigation into the energy sector. The comments increase the pressure on Ofgem, which is under close scrutiny over its role in policing a market that many politicians and consumer groups believe is uncompetitive.
Times 11th Aug 2014 read more »
Biomass
A new Bedfordshire Biomass power station will divert 40,000 tonnes of waste wood from landfill per annum and deliver more than 27,000MWh of electricity. The contract, signed between Twinwoods Heat & Power and bioenergy and materials handling firm Saxlund International, will see the latter manage all aspects of design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of the combined heat and power (CHP) plant which is expected to go live in 2015. The plant will burn 40,000 tonnes of waste wood from commercial and domestic recycling centres every year, producing more than 27,000MWh of electricity and 8,000MWh of district heating.
Edie 8th Aug 2014 read more »
Fossil Fuels
Extracting natural gas through hydraulic fracturing – or fracking – enjoys widespread support, according to a trade body representing the UK oil and gas industry. A survey carried out by the research group Populus for UK Onshore Oil and Gas (UKOOG) found 57% were in favour. The poll of 4,000 people found that 16% were opposed, and 27% where undecided about the controversial process. But Greenpeace said the survey was flawed because it was not independent. The survey found that nearly three fifths (59%) of people would be willing to see natural gas from shale production go ahead as long as it forms part of a mix that includes renewable energy sources, with only 12% disagreeing.
BBC 11th Aug 2014 read more »
Telegraph 11th Aug 2014 read more »
The government has been criticised for censoring a report into the impact of shale gas drilling that examines the effect on house prices and pressure on local services. Campaigners are calling for full publication of the study carried out by Whitehall officials, as the government continues to resist the idea of offering compensation to individual householders near proposed fracking sites. The report, called Shale Gas: Rural Economy Impacts, was written in March and a draft was released under environmental information laws with large portions of the text removed. In particular, the section looking at the effect of drilling on house prices has three missing chunks.
Guardian 10th Aug 2014 read more »
