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Commenting on today’s (25 March) announcement that General Electric (GE) plan to invest €110 million in the UK offshore wind sector by 2020, creating up to 1,900 new jobs the UK’s Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“We're creating the right conditions and incentives to maximise the potential of our wind resource Now we have another leading player entering the offshore wind market as a result.  GE’s investment will create new jobs and help the supply chain flourish, reinforcing the UK as the destination for offshore wind investment.”

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:

"This is great news from GE, a vote of confidence in UK low carbon manufacturing which should create a huge number of jobs. This industry has enormous potential for further growth, with significant knock-on benefits for jobs throughout the supply chain."

 

The Government today made further progress towards facilitating new nuclear power in the UK.

Draft legislation - providing for the creation of a new body to improve the regulation of civil nuclear energy - was published today.

Lord Hunt, Minister of State for Energy, welcomed the publication, which brings the Government a step closer to the proposed creation of an independent Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). He said:

“We’ve made a decision that nuclear power should be part of our future energy mix but issues around safety and security will be of paramount importance.

“That’s why we’re laying the groundwork for a new independent body that is focused on and dedicated to ensuring the safe operation of new nuclear in the UK.”

The Government also announced the launch of consultations covering:

• The methodology for determining how a fixed unit price for disposal of nuclear waste will be set; and
• Regulations clarifying requirements set out in the Energy Act 2008 in relation to Funded Decommissioning Programmes.
   

Notes to Editors:

1. The draft Legislative Reform Order (LRO) and draft Explanatory Document, including the Government’s response to the consultation (Restructuring of the Health and Safety Executive’s Nuclear Directorate) are available.

2. The fixed unit price consultation is available at http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/nuc_waste_cost/nuc_waste_cost.aspx

3. The funded decommissioning programme consultation will be available here http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/nuc_dec_fin/nuc_dec_fin.aspx

4. The fifth meeting of the Nuclear Development Forum takes place today. The Forum brings together Government and key industry stakeholders to ensure regular and high-level contact between all parties on the issues that matter the most to potential investors and operators. More information on the Forum.
 

Commenting on today’s publication of the provisional estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions, Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Joan Ruddock, said;

“Today’s provisional estimates for 2009 greenhouse gas emissions are very promising and show a continued decline in greenhouse gas emissions of 8.6% during 2009."

"We already know from our 2008 figures that we are well on track to exceeding our Kyoto target of 12.5% below 1990 levels and are making good progress towards our first carbon budget target in 2012. Today’s results indicate that we are still moving in the right direction.

"The significant reduction in emissions would no doubt have been impacted by the recent economic circumstances. However, we should still recognise the good progress we are making towards meeting our targets, and should not underestimate the effort made so far by government, industry, business and homeowners alike. We are determined to continue to strengthen and sustain the momentum behind the low-carbon transition in the UK.

"We have said before in response to the Committee on Climate Change that we will not carry forward any over-achievement resulting from the recession against the first carbon budget and will not be deterred from continuing to work towards a low carbon economy in the UK. There will be no let-up in implementing the measures set out in the Low Carbon Transition Plan, so that emissions reductions persist as the UK returns to trend growth."

Notes for Editors:

1. Further information on climate change statistics, including Excel downloads of all the data used to compile this statistical release, can be found on the DECC website at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/climate_change/gg_emissions/uk_emissions/uk_emissions.aspx
2. The Department of Energy and Climate Change is central to the UK Government’s leadership on climate change. We are pushing hard internationally for ambitious effective and fair action to avert the most dangerous impacts. Through our UK Low Carbon Transition Plan we are giving householders and businesses the incentives and advice they need to cut their emissions, we are enabling the energy sector’s shift to the trinity of renewables, new nuclear and clean coal, and we are stepping up the fight against fuel poverty.
    

See also:

• Statistical release - summary report based on 2009 provisional results for UK greenhouse gas emissions and emissions by end-user sector for 2008

Energy Trends and Quarterly Energy Prices publications are published today 25 March by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Energy Trends covers statistics on energy production and consumption, in total and by fuel, and provides an analysis of the year on year changes. Quarterly Energy Prices covers prices to domestic and industrial consumers, prices of oil products and comparisons of international fuel prices. A separate press release covering greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions is also being released by DECC today.

To view the complete set of tables and information contained in this release please use the link below:

USEC recently announced the start of the Lead Cascade of production-ready AC100 centrifuge machines in a commercial-plant configuration in Piketon, Ohio - By Linton Levy - USEC Inc. and the Department of Energy (DOE) have announced an agreement to provide $45 million in funding to USEC to fund on-going American Centrifuge technology demonstration and manufacturing activities. USEC will match the DOE funding on a 50-50 cost-share basis. The work will support approximately 355 highly skilled jobs, primarily in Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. ...(read more)

Current Fusion Technology - By Duncan Williams - Nuclear fusion has long been sought after as an alternative to nuclear fission as a means for generating electricity. This is because fusion technology provides several advantages over fission. For example, the fuels used in nuclear fusion cost less than fission fuels. One of the fuels used in fusion reactors is deuterium, which can be readily extracted from seawater. Another fusion fuel, tritium, can be produced from lithium, which is readily obtainable from the earth’s crust. ...(read more)

The facility’s units produced 22.43 million megawatt-hours of carbon-free energy last year, enough to power two million homes - Edited by Chris Smith - The South Texas Project produced more electricity in 2009 than any other two-unit nuclear power facility in the nation, and has been the top producer for six consecutive years. ...(read more)

Key Generator of Emission-Free Electricity Poised to Continue Safe, Reliable Operations - Edited by April Murelio - Constellation Energy Nuclear Group's Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 in Lusby, Md., returned to service Tuesday following the completion of a planned refueling and maintenance outage. The refueling outage began Feb. 20 at 7:20 p.m. and was completed on March 22 at 3:29 a.m. ...(read more)

“Successfully completing construction and then drastically reducing the time needed to transfer materials is a significant accomplishment for B&W Y-12 in supporting the NNSA’s mission of protecting the nation’s HEU supply,” - By Stephen Heiser - The new Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility (HEUMF) at the Y-12 National Security Complex was formally dedicated in a ceremony yesterday attended by approximately 200 Administration officials, elected officials and representatives from the community, as well as about 800 B&W Y-12 employees. Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, LLC (B&W Y-12) has worked in cooperation with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to achieve millions of dollars in cost savings through an expedited transfer of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to the new facility. ...(read more)

In addition to the performance assessment, the NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the safety performance of Palo Verde and the NRC’s role in ensuring safe plant operation. Results from a recent safety inspection for Palo Verde’s license renewal application will also be discussed - Source NRC - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet in Tonopah, Ariz., on March 30, with representatives of Arizona Public Service Co., to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance during 2009 at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. The plant, operated by APS, is located 50 miles west of Phoenix. ...(read more)

UN Rep Acknowledges Flaw in Report on Livestock's Effect on Global Warming

Stealth Energy Inc. is pleased to announce that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement of up to 10 million units at a price of $0.20 per unit for gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000.

Industrial pipe cutting and beveling company exhibits new pipe cutter equipment

DOE has released a new report demonstrating that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and related programs have helped boost small businesses in the clean energy industry with $5.4 billion in grants so far. Companies involved in wind and solar power, biofuels, and energy efficiency are among the recipients.

Leading U.S. building industry groups have launched the International Green Construction Code, a model regulatory framework for the construction of high-performance commercial buildings. The code could be adopted by states and local governments in the United States and by governments throughout the world.

Ahead of the expected U.S. rollout of a number of electric vehicles this year, companies are offering innovative technologies designed to charge the vehicles, including a system linking vehicles to the Smart Grid, a plug-free charging system, and an iPhone App to find linked stations.

Colorado has increased its renewable energy standard for utilities to 30% by 2020, up from the previous 20% target set in 2007. The new legislation also requires utilities to draw on distributed sources of renewable energy for 3% of their retail electric sales by 2020.

China has enacted a number of policies that have made it one of the largest consumers of wind turbines in the world and the largest producer of solar cells. But the country has also moved to exclude foreign competition in its domestic renewable energy market, according to a new report.

Investment in low carbon technologies was at the heart of the Budget delivered by the Chancellor today.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“This Budget will help propel the UK further and faster towards the green industries of the future.

“The green investment bank, new support for wind turbine manufacturing sites and the first findings of our work to reform the energy market are all critical.

“Jobs, growth, energy security and the fight against climate change are all winners.

“Today’s Budget also includes substantial savings by DECC through smarter government.”

Major low carbon components of today’s Budget are:

Green Investment Bank

The new Green Investment Bank for Low Carbon Development announced by the Chancellor today will be a major step in overcoming the finance challenge confronting infrastructure projects in the UK. It will be particularly important for the energy sector given the scale of the investment needed to bring forward low carbon electricity, and will have an early focus on offshore wind.

The Government will fund its investment of up to £1bn in the bank using receipts from the sale of mature infrastructure-related assets and will seek to match this with at least £1bn of private sector investment.

Offshore wind infrastructure competition

The Chancellor has today announced a competition for up to £60m of funds to develop sites close to ports that will support manufacturing for the offshore wind industry.

Site developers will be able to bid for access to the fund. We will be expecting all bids to include contributions from local supply chain partners.

The competition will help the UK secure major operations in offshore wind manufacture and assembly, which will directly create hundreds of skilled jobs with thousands more in the supply chain.

Supporting the development of the offshore wind sector is crucial to enable the UK to realise its renewable energy ambitions. Britain is, and will remain for the foreseeable future, the largest single market for offshore wind in the world.

Energy market reform

The initial findings of the Energy Market Assessment were published alongside the Budget, narrowing down the options for market reform to incentivise the necessary investment over the next few decades and to ensure the consumer gets the best deal possible in the long term.

The initial findings are:

• The energy market has delivered for the UK economy and, with the measures set out in the Low Carbon Transition Plan, will continue to deliver to 2020.
• But for the long term the status quo is not an option. The challenges beyond 2020 are significant and will increasingly place pressure on the market in its current form. The UK’s binding 80% greenhouse gas reduction target by 2050 will only be achieved by huge increases in low-carbon electricity generation, requiring unprecedented levels of investment, including the upfront costs of many low carbon technologies.
• Providing greater certainty on the current carbon price alone will not be enough to drive the long-term change needed.
• The Government is ruling out a single buyer agency. This would not drive cost efficiency or bring the same benefits as a market-based approach.
• The issue of liquidity in the wholesale electricity market needs addressing. New players are needed to ensure a dynamic market that delivers the best possible deal for the consumer.
• The Government will work closely with the industry, regulator and other interested parties to assess the remaining options against a criteria of cost-effectiveness, affordability and investor certainty. Proposals will be brought forward for consultation this autumn, with a White Paper following in Spring 2011.

Pay As You Save

Following the publication of the Government’s Household Energy Management strategy in March, the Budget has today announced that the Government and the financial services industry will undertake detailed work through a joint forum to develop PAYS arrangements. This will enable millions of households to finance the high upfront costs of installations from the savings they make on their energy bills.

Consultation on Biomass

The Government today announced its intention to consult shortly on proposals to change the way in which electricity from biomass is supported to improve investor certainty and ensure sustainability. This follows a review of how biomass is supported under the existing £1bn Renewables Obligation (RO).

Proposals include:

• Providing a set level of support for dedicated biomass (such as woodchip, energy crops) for their lifetime under the Renewables Obligation. This would split non fuel (e.g upfront capital) costs for new plants from fuel costs, meaning a consistent level of income for capital outlay, with a fuel element subject to regular review.
• Grandfathering ROCs for anaerobic digesters and energy from waste with CHP facilities at current levels from point of accreditation.
• Excluding bioliquids from receiving grandfathered support under the RO.
• Consulting in the summer on the introduction of sustainability criteria for biomass (such as wood and energy crops used for heat and electricity) and considering whether biomass generation must meet these criteria as a condition of qualifying for financial support.
• Support for generators in all technologies other than biomass is currently grandfathered, meaning that the level of ROCs they receive is set at the point of accreditation for 20 years, irrespective of future changes to support levels.

Nitrous oxide gases

The Budget today announced that Government intends to opt nitrous oxide gases from nitric acid production into the EU ETS from 2011. This is expected to lead to additional abatement of around 2 MtCO2 equivalent between 2011 and 2012.

Smarter government savings at DECC

Today DECC announces that it will deliver over £30m of savings, as their departmental contribution towards £11bn savings that are being made across Government.

The Budget has today reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to making £11bn of savings a year by 2012/13 from efficiency and streamlining the centre of Government.

The £11bn of savings will help halve the deficit over four years and protect frontline priorities. The savings will come following the work of the Operational Efficiency Programme and Putting the Frontline First: Smarter Government.

DECC will meet this commitment through a number of activities:

• The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will deliver around £30m of savings by 2012/13 through collaborative procurement across its estate by a range of activities including; rationalising the provision of information technology, aggregation of facilities management and increased co-ordination of professional services.
• DECC already makes extensive use of shared services in its back office functions, including finance, human resources and IT. However, the Department will make additional savings by reducing the number of senior civil servants and further cutting spend on consultancy.
• Further savings will come from efficiencies found by arms length bodies taking the total savings in 2012/13 to over £32m.
• DECC is committed to delivering the significant savings necessary and is making real progress through ambitious efficiency and value for money plans.

Notes for Editors

The initial findings of the Energy Market Assessment can be found on the treasury website:
( http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2010_energymarket.htm ) 

Details of the Offshore Wind Infrastructure competition application process are available in the Renewable Energy Business Development section of the DECC website.
 

Gates is expected to use his personal funding and assets to back the development of TWRs and his investment could reach several billion dollars - By Stephen Heiser - TerraPower, an energy start-up backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates is in discussions with Toshiba on developing a small nuclear reactor. Toshiba owns Westinghouse Nuclear and brings considerable assets and experience to any nuclear joint venture. TerraPower is a unit of Intellectual Ventures, a patent-holding concern partially funded by Bill Gates. Intellectual Ventures, based in Bellevue, Washington, is run by a former Microsoft Corp. executive, Nathan Myhrvold. ...(read more)