npower profits down 38%

Energy supplier npower admitted profits are down 38% for the first half of 2014. Profits dropped from £176 million in January to June 2013, to £109 million for the same period this year, according to its half-year performance figures. The UK supplier which is owned by German energy giant RWE said this represents a profit of […]

Coal could sweep out low carbon fears peer

Coal plants could sweep up in the auctions to provide power for Britain in future, leaving precious little space for low carbon power generation or energy efficiency, fears the Labour peer Baroness Worthington. She is concerned retrofitted coal plants could apply to participate in the capacity mechanism. In December, the Government will run the first […]

UK coal use fingered in “Europe’s Dirty 30” report

The UK was fingered today by climate campaigners for coming joint first in a list of Europe’s “dirtiest” coal power plants. Germany and the UK have nine of the dirtiest coal plants apiece according to the “Europe’s Dirty 30” report released by groups including WWF and the European Environmental Bureau. Poland’s Belchatow plant came top […]

Beijing to ‘replace coal-fired plants before 2015’

China’s capital city is looking to phase out all of its coal-fired power plants and replace them by the end of next year in its efforts to tackle air pollution, Chinese reports claim. According to municipal authorities, Beijing (pictured) is planning to build four new power plants and 40 “utility projects” to replace existing coal […]

Danger of shrinking electricity margin warns ScottishPower

The country is in danger of a squeeze on its electricity margin of 3% which is a “real issue” for our energy supply, the Chief Corporate Officer of ScottishPower warned today. This margin is the difference between our peak electricity demand and how much spare power generation we have to cover this peak demand. Speaking […]

‘100,000 early deaths from India coal emissions’

Emissions from coal-fired power stations caused an estimated 100,000 early deaths in India last year, a new report claimed today. Millions more people suffer from asthma, heart disease and other health problems which cost India between $3-4 billion dollars suggests the ‘Coal Kills’ report, which was written by researchers from the Delhi-based group Urban Emissions […]

Obama law could rule out new US coal plants

The United States is putting forward laws to limit carbon pollution from new power plants which some are suggesting could effectively rule out new coal plants in the USA. Under proposals for the first Clean Air Act standard from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), any new coal and natural gas power plants will have […]