Long-term energy contract to save UK Government £97m

The UK Government could save as much as £97 million on its energy bill under a 20-year contract formally finalised last week. The savings will be £13 million more than the previous figure expected over the life of the contract with renewable generator UK Air Products. The firm will build a £300 million waste-to-energy plant […]

Government’s EMR ‘lacks long-terms vision’ for power sector

Campaigners have warned the Government’s electricity market reform (EMR) still fail to provide enough information on how it plans to deliver a decarbonised electricity network. WWF welcomed the clarity DECC provided in the draft proposal yesterday for the development of renewable projects to be built over the next five years but said the EMR lacks […]

UK’s Green Investment Bank open for business

The UK’s Green Investment Bank (GIB) has officially been declared open as new details of its first investments are announced. Funded with £3 billion of Government money, the GIB is designed to encourage private sector investment in the UK’s transition to a green economy. Speaking in Edinburgh where the new bank is headquartered, Business Secretary […]

Energy Bill ‘will fail’ to meet long-term demand

The Energy Bill “will fail” to resolve the tension between the industry and the Government and will not help in meeting the UK’s energy demand in the long term, a team of academics said today. Warwick Business School’s Global Energy Group made the comment following DECC’s announcement of the details in the Bill, which is […]

Government can’t ignore Climate Committee’s warning

The UK Government cannot ignore the Climate Change Committee’s warning about its “dash for gas” plans. That’s according to environmental group Friends of the Earth who commented after the Committee released a letter yesterday showing concerns about the Government’s plans for more investment in gas. Andrew Pendleton, the group’s Head of Campaigns said: “This is […]

Industry mourns Hendry departure

DECC stalwart and Conservative MP Charles Hendry leaves “big shoes to fill” after he was replaced by John Hayes as Energy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Cabinet shake-up. The news was the sting in the tail of the reshuffle yesterday which initially seemed to leave the Department of Energy and Climate Change unscathed. David Smith, […]

Government must ‘step up’ and address Energy Bill issues

UK trade bodies said the Government needs to “step up” and address the issues of the Energy Bill highlighted by the Energy and Climate Change Committee. The comment was made by the Renewable Energy Association (REA) and RenewableUK as they welcomed the Committee’s report following its pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill proposed by the Government […]

REA wins €76,000 EU funding for biogas

A UK trade body has won EU funding worth €76,000 (£60,000) for a biogas training programme. The ‘Advanced Biogas Learning in Europe’ (ABLE) project, typically aimed at young people, offers “on-site” experience and training at biogas laboratories and factories in Germany. UK companies can also get the opportunity to learn from leading experts in all […]

‘Urgent’ decisions needed for renewables industry

The UK Government urgently needs to make up its mind about its support for the renewables industry, according to trade bodies. The comment comes after DECC announced it is still discussing and finalising the proposals on financial support for the sector as Ministers failed to come to an agreement yesterday. Maria McCaffery, Chief Executive of […]

Trade bodies highlight risks of CfDs

Renewable trade bodies in the UK have called on the Government to provide more clarity in the Energy Bill as the draft is not clear and could pose big “risks”. They made their objectives clear to the Energy and Climate Change Committee at a second hearing yesterday about the electricity market reform. Dr Gordon Edge, […]