Politics
In a surprise move, Energy Minister Charles Hendry has been axed in the government’s reshuffle to be replaced by Tory MP John Hayes. Number 10 later confirmed Hendry had been replaced by MP for South Holland and the Deepings, John Hayes, who has moved from his role as Minister for Skills at the Department for Business. Hayes appointment will cause concern amongst renewable energy firms given his opposition to wind farms in his constituency, having previously describing wind turbines as a “terrible intrusion on our flat fenland landscape”. (BBC 10th July 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/8133764.stm) Stakeholders who had worked with Hendry were united in their dismay at news of his departure. Jennifer Webber from trade body RenewableUK wrote on Twitter that the news was a major shock, adding that “now’s not the time to get rid of someone with such a superb understanding of energy policy”.
Business Green 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Utility Week 5th Sept 2012 more >>
New environment secretary Owen Paterson will worry greens. Environmental campaigners should prepare for deep disappointment: despite listing “trees” as an interest, Paterson is no treehugger. In May, he reportedly told the Cabinet that it should end all energy subsidies, such as those for wind and solar power, and fast-track shale gas exploitation. He also urged more aviation capacity, which seems far more likely now Justine Greening – implacably opposed to a third runway at Heathrow has been removed. As MP for North Shropshire, Paterson has spoken against wind farms and the new pylons needed to carry their power to the national grid. His appointment marks a sharp lurch away from the green-minded policies which sheltered in the environment department and a significant weakening of the green voice at the Cabinet table.
Guardian 4th Sept 2012 more >>
BBC 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Business Green 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Climate change skeptic Owen Paterson has been promoted to be the new Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Telegraph 4th Sept 2012 more >>
With Liberal Democrat Ed Davey safely installed at the head of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), other Lib Dems making irritated noises about the Treasury’s influence over the government’s environmental policies, and an autumn which will see the next stage of the energy bill’s development, the government’s environmental direction is up for grabs. So it’s worth paying attention to Owen Paterson, the new secretary of state for environment, and Davey’s counterpart at Defra. Although Paterson has expressed some views that might chime with climate skeptics, it’s not certain yet where his views on climate change lie. Paterson comes pre-approved by such luminaries of the climate skeptic world as James Delingpole, who calls him “an energetic and articulate opponent of wind farm development”. On Twitter, it was pointed out that the grandfather figure of UK climate skeptics, Nigel Lawson, endorsed him on Sky News, while being careful to make no comment whatsoever on Paterson’s views.
Carbon Brief 4th Sept 2012 more >>
The most important issue Paterson faces is far broader and at the heart of a fierce battle in cabinet: the fate of David Cameron’s pledge to make his government the “greenest ever”. As the economy has tanked, the Tory right has looked to bury that pledge in the name of growth at any cost. The environment secretary has been important if not all that effectual in the guise of the sacked Caroline Spelman in fighting that idea. With strong green voices in decline around the cabinet table, Paterson’s key role will be how he uses his new power to argue against or for anti-environmental policies across government
Guardian 4th Sept 2012 more >>
The new Cabinet minister in charge of the environment has been endorsed by Lord Lawson, the noted climate change sceptic, for his reason and sense on the issue. Owen Paterson was promoted from Northern Ireland to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs yesterday in a major boost for the right. The issue of climate change is controlled by a different department, but the overlap between the two ministries, particularly on Cabinet committees, means his views are likely to have an impact on policy. However he has also campaigned against wind farms and the cables needed to connect them to the grid, calling wind energy a massive waste of consumers money and called for an end to all energy subsidies. The endorsement by Lord Lawson, the former Chancellor, will cause the most nervousness among environmentalists. He is in fact one of the most able and promising young men or women around the cabinet and therefore his promotion to environment is extremely welcome he is a man of reason and sense.
Times 5th Sept 2012 more >>
Nuclear Investment
Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London 2012 organising committee, has been brought into government to replace Lord Sassoon as the minister responsible for economic delivery. Mr Deighton will become a peer, and will focus particularly on encouraging private investors to put money into infrastructure projects as part of the governments plan to boost growth. The former Goldman Sachs partner will be responsible for drawing up the government guarantees that ministers hope will provide enough incentive for businesses to invest in projects such as the HS2 rail link and new nuclear plants.
FT 4th Sept 2012 more >>
As Minister for Infrastructure and Economic Delivery reporting to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, Mr Deighton will be expected to force through power station and transport projects that are stuck in Whitehall or languishing through lack of funds.
Times 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Energy Prices
The Big Six energy firms are “squeezing competition”, MPs were told today. Stephen Fitzgerald of independent supplier Ovo Energy told a Commons Select Committee: “In a competitive market, prices could be lower.” “We’ve been in business three years now and the competitive environment has never been so poor,” Mr Fitzgerald told the Energy and Climate Change Committee. “Confusion around energy prices and bills has made it difficult to for customers to find value.” He accused the Big Six firms of selling energy at a loss to new customers in order to squeeze out competition. Talking to The Independent after giving evidence, Mr Fitzgerald explained: “In a competitive market you shouldn’t have huge price differentials.”But if you look at Scottish Power there’s a gap of £300 between its cheapest deal and the average tariff. “Npower and EDF also seem to have a large differential in prices while Sainsbury’s Energy – which is British Gas by another name – is also sold at a loss.” MPs summoned bigwigs from the Big Six energy firms – British Gas, E.on, EDF, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE – to explain why the energy market is not working properly for UK consumers. The bosses of smaller rivals Ovo and Good Energy were also called to give evidence.
Independent 5th Sept 2012 more >>
GDA
EDF and Areva have undertaken a major overhaul of their work on the UK EPR design in an effort to recapture lost time and still obtain UK Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) approval for the design by the end of the year. At its widest, the gap between the time EDF and Areva had committed to deliver answers to ONRs questions on the reactor design and the time they did deliver the answers was about four months, according to ONR data. Earlier this year, however, EDF and Areva submitted revised resolution plans to try to make up that lost time and still resolve all 31 of the original unresolved design safety issues (known as generic design assessment issues or GDA issues) by the end of the year. However, even against the new revised plans, the GDA co-applicants are already falling short, according to an ONR quarterly progress report for the period ending June 30 and published August 14. An ONR spokeswoman said September 3 the shortfall in June against the revised resolution plans is small and EDF and Areva are working to recover this.
i-Nuclear 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Sizewell
Environment Agency report to Sizewell Site Stakeholder Group.
Sizewell SSG 6th Sept 2012 more >>
Dungeness
The EDF-operated 550 megawatt nuclear reactor at Dungeness B22 resumed electricity output to the transmission network on Tuesday following a planned maintenance outage, data from National Grid showed.
Reuters 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Radwaste
COUNCIL chiefs will debate whether Cumbria should continue in the search for an underground nuclear repository in the county. The West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Partnerships final report will be discussed by councillors at tomorrow’s Full Council meeting of Cumbria County Council. The reports findings will be the topic of a debate, which will allow councillors to field public questions and raise any concerns of their own, ahead of the Cabinets decision on whether to continue in the process on October 11.
NW Evening Mail 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Belgium
Supplementary inspections of Electrabels Doel-3 reactor pressure vessel have confirmed the presence of a large number of cracks, initially indicated by inspections in June and July, according to an official report issued September 3. The confirmation of a large amount of cracking raises the bar significantly for Electrabel to prove the 30-year-old reactor is safe to return to service. A spokeswoman for the Belgian Federal Authority for Nuclear Control (FANC) said September 4 that Doel-3 could not return to service before October at the earliest. Studies are currently under way to confirm the structural integrity of the vessel and a pressurised thermal shock (PTS) study will be required to see how the vessel would respond to an overcooling, high-pressure event, according to the report. For the time being it is believed that the cracks did not evolve during plant operation as a result of irradiation or other mechanisms, but have been present since fabrication of the reactor vessel by the now-defunct Dutch company Rotterdam Dry Dock (Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij) or RDM.
i-Nuclear 4th Sept 2012 more >>
India
If the Indian government thought it could politically isolate the growing nation-wide anti-nuclear struggle, it is manifestly mistaken. Three important developments have put the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) on the back foot. First, the National Committee in Solidarity with the Jaitapur Struggle, comprising Centre-Left leaders and experts, has issued a powerful statement against the proposed Jaitapur project in Maharashtra, based on six huge (1,650 megawatt) reactors of the French company Areva, warning of grave safety issues and exorbitant costs. Second, Indias first big Peoples Hearing on all major nuclear plants was held on August 22 in Delhi, which bears testimony to the growing anti-nuclear public sentiment. This developed a new informed consensus on alternatives. And third, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) published a report on Indias nuclear regulator, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, documenting serious organisational flaws and sloppy practices, raising a question-mark over the safety of Indias perennially crisis-bound, accident-prone, money-guzzling nuclear power programme.
The News 3rd Sept 2012 more >>
Kudankulam Atomic Power Project located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is expected to start full-load generation of 1,000MW from December 2012. Atomic Energy Commission member M.R. Srinivasan was quoted by IANS as saying that fuel loading at the nuclear plant will start next week followed by power generation in October and will attain peak capacity by December.
Energy Business Review 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Iran
Iran will attack American military bases in the Persian Gulf if Israel bombs its nuclear facilities, the head of Hizbollah, the militant Lebanese Shia movement, has warned.
Telegraph 4th Sept 2012 more >>
South Korea
The South Korean government has decided to construct an intermediate storage facility for spent nuclear fuel by 2024. Korea’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy has reportedly received the proposals from the consortium of nuclear academic associations for the construction of a facility. The exhausted nuke fuel is currently stored in temporary storage facilities in nuclear power plants, which will reach saturation by 2016. An interim disposal facility is being built by the country for low-level nuclear waste in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, reported Eco-Business. In November 2011, the government had launched a committee to tackle the spent nuclear fuel that is accumulating and Korea could not reprocess it under an old agreement with the US.
Energy Business Review 4th Sept 2012 more >>
China
JinkoSolar is to supply 30MW of solar modules for a PV power plant project in Hami City, Xinjiang Province. It won the supply order from China Guangdong Nuclear Solar Energy Development Co, a subsidiary of China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group. Xiande Li, Chairman of the Board of Directors at JinkoSolar said the order validates the companys efforts to nurture long-term relationships with major companies in the Chinese solar power plant industry.
Renewable Energy Focus 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Fuel Poverty
SCOTS Ministers last night hit back over claims it was “feeble” on fuel poverty, saying Scotland was using “all available mechanisms” at a time when Westminster was reducing its support to zero. Infrastructure Secretary Alex Neil, writing in The Herald today, contrasted his fuel poverty achievements with those of Westminster and claimed: “It is a record of which I and this Government are proud.” His response came after Dr Brenda Boardman, the expert who first identified the concept of fuel poverty a generation ago, argued that the Scottish Government’s funding and delivery on the issue were failing to match the rhetoric and aspirations. Mr Neil said: “The Scottish Government is using all available mechanisms within its limited devolved powers to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland.
Herald 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Letter Alex Neil: DR Brenda Boardman makes valid points about fuel poverty but your article misrepresents the Scottish Government’s record on this issue. The Scottish Government is using all available mechanisms within its limited devolved powers to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland. We have allocated a £65 million budget to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency across Scotland’s households in 2012/13, and have a raft of measures in place to support families struggling with heating bills. In total we are spending around £250m over the spending review period. In contrast, Westminster has cut its fuel poverty funding in England year on year, from £350m in 2010/11 to £100m in 2012/13 and to zero thereafter – it will be the only country in the UK not to have government-backed support on this vital issue. We are taking these actions against the backdrop of energy companies continuing to introduce punishing price rises. That is why we are continuing to lobby the UK Government to take a firmer stance with energy companies – encouraging them to cut their prices in order to help boost household incomes. Dr Boardman calls for Low Carbon Zones led by local councils to tackle fuel poverty. We agree and our National Retrofit Programme (NRP) will take an area-based approach to tackling fuel poverty with a key role for local councils. Our programme, which I announced to Parliament in June, will start in 2013 and will see us work in partnership with energy companies to identify £200m a year to improve the energy efficiency ratings of Scotland’s older housing stock – another measure that will drive down the number of households in fuel poverty. This programme will build on the successes of current fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes, which are due to save households across Scotland some £700 million in total.
Herald 4th Sept 2012 more >>
An Edinburgh conference heard how homes had to be made more energy-efficient if the problem of high fuel bills was going to be tackled. Ms Leighton told the conference: “The signals could not be clearer. The Government needs to raise its game if we are to reap the rewards of warm, high-quality, affordable, low-carbon homes for everyone in Scotland.” Oxford University’s Dr Brenda Boardman told the conference that the fuel poverty problem was “a combination of rising fuel prices and inefficient homes”. She added: “There’s a limited amount the Government can do about prices but they can focus more on energy efficiency. “The talk about an area-based approach over 10 years to address insulation is welcome. The difficulty is, who is going to pay for what?”
Daily Record 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Daily Record 4tyh Sept 2012 more >>
Climate Change
Nicholas Stern is to blame: When you see wind farms covering every hill and mountain and most of the valleys too, you can blame Stern. If you can’t pay your heating bills, ask Stern why this has happened. When children are indoctrinated and dissenting voices crushed, it is at Nicholas Stern that you should point an accusing finger. When the lights start to go out in a few years time, it’s Stern who will have to explain why.
Telegraph 4th Sept 2012 more >>
Renewables
Letter: The Neilston Development Trust (NDT) and the developer Carbon Free Developments have a project which will see the community receive an estimated £10 million over the next 25 years, because NDT secured the finance to allow it to invest in the project, taking a share in the risk and reward. Neilston is in the lowest 10-15 per cent of the Scottish Government’s Index of Multiple Depravation; these turbines will provide a sustainable and secure income for the area for a generation. The website of the Neilston Community Wind Farm outlines ambitions plans to regenerate the town through its “Neilston 2030 Vision” to create a “sustainable, economically robust, well planned and well connected small town”. I would argue that rather than this being an example of “selfishness” it is a commendable example of a community seizing an opportunity to take its future into its own hands.
Scotsman 4th Sept 2012 more >>
The Association for Organics Recycling (AfOR) is to join forces with the Renewable Energy Association (REA), in a move designed to bolster the lobbying efforts of green businesses. AfOR announced today that it will complete a merger with the REA by the end of the year, with AfOR managing director Jeremy Jacobs becoming REA technical director.
Business Green 5th Sept 2012 more >>
