Devolved energy policy and funding would serve decarbonisation best, 60 academics – including Dr Jeff Hardy – who form the EnergyRev research, will tell BEIS. The local approach to energy policy and funding continues to gather momentum. A consortium of 60 academics across 22 universities will urge BEIS to view a post-pandemic recovery package through a smart local energy systems lens, which they say could be an effective way to bring about the transition of the energy system to achieve net zero emissions and economic growth and wider local benefits. The EnergyRev research consortium, which includes Imperial College London University College London and Strathclyde University amongst its number, is preparing its submission to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee super inquiry on Post-Pandemic Economic Growth, due in early September. The consortium is involved in research around smart local energy systems and funded by UK Research and Innovation as part of the UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) programme. Dr Jeff Hardy, a senior research fellow at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, at Imperial College London, says that the EnergyRev consortium has analysed a number of position papers produced on bolstering the economic recovery through decarbonisation in its submission. He says that in analysing the dozens of position papers from a variety of different organisation four key themes emerged: Energy efficiency and retrofitting buildings; zero carbon heat; low carbon mobility, including active travel deployment; renewable electricity generation and network infrastructure. “Also, in these papers what was also apparent is how organisations were linking their proposals for economic recovery around wider benefits like health benefits from warmer homes,” he says.

Utility Week 13th Aug 2020 read more »

Can investments in renewable energy power an economic recovery from covid-19? (Iberdrola advert).

Iberdrola 13th Aug 2020 read more »

A group of moderate Conservative MPs has served up a raft of policy recommendations designed to help deliver on the Prime Minister’s pledge to “build back greener” from the Covid-19 recession.

Business Green 13th Aug 2020 read more »

The world’s largest vehicle-to-grid (V2G) project has been launched at a north London bus garage. Nearly 100 new zero-emission electric buses will be run from the Northumberland Park garage, which has been transformed with chargers that will be used for the Bus2Grid project. Initially, it will use batteries from 28 of the state-of-the-art double decker buses to trial V2G systems, which are capable of returning 1.1MW energy to the grid to provide balancing services. The buses are adapted BYD ADL Enviro400EV, double deckers, each with a 382kWh BYD lithium iron phosphate batteries.

Current 13th Aug 2020 read more »

The first Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) will be introduced as part of the Scottish Government funded Spaces for People measures in East Craigs. These temporary measures will make the area safe for people walking, wheeling and cycling with roads closed to through traffic and segregated cycle lanes. A bus gate is part of the plans set out today by the City of Edinburgh Council to support the measures intended reduce through traffic and improve the air and noise pollution there. The idea of a LTN is to create a people-friendly space and reduce the impact of traffic on neighbourhoods by closing off ‘rat runs’, perhaps allowing children more space to play.

Edinburgh Reporter 13th Aug 2020 read more »

With news headlines still dominated by the coronavirus crisis, energy users could be forgiven for thinking energy is off the government’s radar screen at the moment. But in fact, quite a lot has been going on behind the scenes as ministers and civil servants start ramping up plans for radical decarbonisation of the entire UK energy system. It has been a running joke in Westminster for some time, well before the current crisis, to speculate when the much-promised Energy White Paper would finally be published. In fact, the government published a raft of papers and consultations last year on a number of matters which give clues on what might eventually emerge, and more last month in relation to renewable heat. Critics might say the important stuff has yet to be decided, but the sense of direction is clear. The initial focus on electricity decarbonisation has already seen record levels of wind and solar generation and coal use cut to levels not seen for more than a hundred years. Something similar will have to follow for heat – probably a combination of electrification with hydrogen for certain industrial and possibly other processes – the mix of which cannot easily be determined until trials are underway and the results properly understood, which will take time. Transport is likewise starting the journey towards electrification, but local distribution grids and charging infrastructure will require major investment for electric vehicles to reach their potential. The phase-out of new petrol and diesel engine vehicles by the mid-2020s has already been announced but will not be enough on its own. There’s little point speculating further about a publication date. Labour Leader Keir Starmer has made some interesting appointments to his front bench team, retaining highly experienced Shadow Minister Alan Whitehead but also bringing back former Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. In addition, acting Lib Dem leader Ed Davey is also a former Energy Secretary, adding to the depth of expertise on the opposition benches. Ministers are, therefore, likely to have a rather tougher time at the dispatch box than was the case in the previous Parliament, although the new generation of MPs on both sides will also have an influence. Many of the new Conservative MPs are more relaxed about climate policy than their (older) predecessors and generally less sceptical about technologies like onshore wind, where it is sensitively deployed.

Energy Live News 11th Aug 2020 read more »

A new Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (CEE Bill) demanding the UK government act with emergency measures on the twin crises has been written and will be put before parliament if it receives enough support. A campaign was launched on Wednesday and supporters have high hopes that the Bill will be introduced in the House of Commons when it reconvenes on 1 September. The CEE Bill comes a year after the British parliament declared a climate emergency. If passed, it would substantially amend the Climate Change Act 2008, tightening the framework and accelerating the speed in which the UK has to act. Doug Parr, chief scientist and policy director of Greenpeace, said: “We completely support the direction of where this Bill is seeking to take UK, and in setting up new objectives and processes to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.”

Independent 13th Aug 2020 read more »

A bus garage in North London has been fitted with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and 100 buses adapted for bi-directional charging, as part of what is being described as the largest project of its kind in the world.

Edie 13th Aug 2020 read more »

A group of moderate Conservative MPs has joined green groups in calling for the government’s ban on new fossil fuel vehicles to be brought forward by five years to 2030 as part of a plan to ignite a green economic recovery. The recently reformed caucus of centrist Conservatives has called on ministers to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles as part of a comprehensive green policy report aimed at bringing the UK in line with the official advice of the government’s climate tsars. The One Nation group of about 100 Conservative MPs, or a third of the parliamentary party, formed in opposition to a hardline no-deal Brexit under Theresa May and relaunched late last month in a bid to steer Boris Johnson away from the hard right of the party.

Guardian 13th Aug 2020 read more »

From a simplistic technological point of view, a battery electric car may be superior to one with an internal combustion engine – but that does not mean it makes sense for societies to opt for mass substitution of one for the other. Nor does it make sense, if radically reducing carbon emissions is the aim, to facilitate growth in the numbers of privately owned vehicles, either domestically or globally. As UK Green Party MP Caroline Lucas suggests and ownership projections illustrate, many governments, including the UK’s, are fudging this point. Most of the focus is on achieving the transition to electric cars. Electric cars are not zero emissions. Mining and manufacturing produce emissions and, once on the road, an electric car must be charged, involving emissions from electricity generation based on the “energy mix”: the combination of different energy sources that meet energy consumption needs. Greater policy attention, then, must be paid to developing alternatives to our dependence on private transport. This could take any number of different forms: greater investment in trains and other low-emission transport; encouraging people to work in their local communities rather than commute (something that coronavirus is already pushing forward); or introducing schemes that encourage car shares or co-operatives.

The Conversation 7th Aug 2020 read more »

Africa’s First Electric Bus Plant Will Industrialize Uganda While Fighting Pollution. Ugandan-owned Kiira Motors Corp.’s new e-bus factory is bringing roads, power lines and water service to a rural area.

Bloomberg 11th Aug 2020 read more »

New research carried out for the National Infrastructure Commission shows how sharp falls in the cost of renewable generation mean that Britain should aim for renewables to meet two thirds of electricity needs by 2030 and that this can be delivered at the same overall cost as meeting only half of total demand by that date. The findings show the UK could make significant progress towards its net zero greenhouse gas emissions target if the rights steps are taken – leading the Commission to update its recommended target for deployment of renewables as part of a low cost low carbon electricity system, from 50 per cent to 65 per cent by 2030. The latest analysis reflects the impact of the falling cost of renewable electricity technologies and the relative speed with which they have proven to be built.

National Infrastructure Commission 11th Aug 2020 read more »

New modelling research commissioned from Aurora Energy by the National Infrastructure Commission shows how sharp falls in the cost of renewable generation mean that Britain should aim for renewables to meet two thirds of electricity needs by 2030, and that this can be delivered at the same overall cost as meeting only half of total demand by that date.

National Infrastructure Commission 11th Aug 2020 read more »

New research reveals UK could source two thirds of its power from renewables by 2030, as calls grow for government to accelerate clean energy auction pipeline and introduce green tax breaks. The government should increase its already ambitious goals for renewable energy generation, according to a new report from the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) which details how plummeting clean energy costs should allow the UK to accelerate its transition to net zero emissions over the next decade.

Business Green 11th Aug 2020 read more »

NIC: Britain could meet 65% of electricity needs with renewables by 2030 at low cost.

Current 11th Aug 2020 read more »

Edie 11th Aug 2020 read more »

Belfast Telegraph 11th Aug 2020 read more »

NIC recommended that a “refreshed pipeline” of “contracts for difference” auctions should be set out to accelerate more offshore wind, onshore wind and solar power projects. The report also highlighted that renewables alone cannot create a resilient energy system for future decades, and that further work on new storage technologies, efficient interconnectors, and other innovations are needed to support renewables and ensure the security of the electricity system. This could include an increased role for low carbon hydrogen generation, as envisaged in the Commission’s report Net Zero: Opportunities for the Power Sector, published in March 2020.

renews.biz 11th Aug 2020 read more »

Forecasts from analyst Cornwall Insight’s ‘Benchmark power curve’ suggests that up to about 46 GW of new build renewable technology (11 GW onshore wind, 10 GW solar and 25 GW offshore wind) may need to be developed in the UK by 2030 to keep pace with 2050 net zero targets. This large-scale deployment of very low/zero marginal cost wind and solar technologies, as well as increasing interconnection in the 2020s, is likely to have a depressive impact on wholesale power prices out to 2030. Further modelling also shows that with an increase in high intermittent generation levels, it is likely the market will see a corresponding rise in price volatility. The volatility in the power price in 2019 was valued at £13/MWh (credit to Ionic Consulting), but between 2020-24 modelling suggests an increase in volatility in all scenarios to between £18.2/MWh and £23.1/MWh. This could rise to over £50/MWh by the 2030s.

Modern Power Systems 12th Aug 2020 read more »

Norwegian standards and risk management agency DNV GL has released a report detailing the steps the power industry must take to tackle climate change. The “Transition Faster” report looks at how the industry must grow to restrict the global temperature rise to safe levels. The most widely agreed “safe” rise is 1.5°C above average pre-industrial temperatures. This would avoid the worst impacts of climate change, such as ocean acidification and sea level rises. However, it would still expose 420 million people to extreme heatwaves, according to Nasa’s Global Climate Change website. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change aims to restrict the temperature rise to “well below” 2.0°C by 2050. The DNV GL report projects that the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic will reduce energy demand through to 2050 by 8%. This would put it at the same level as 2018. In practice, this means 75 billion tonnes less CO₂ emitted before 2050, approximately equal to two years’ emissions at the present rate. However, the report states: “To reach the 1.5°C ‘safe’ upper limit for a global temperature rise, we would need to repeat the decline in emissions we’ve seen in 2020 so far, every year from now on.” It also predicts that global CO₂ emissions from energy generation have already peaked. However, it reminds readers that the earth is currently not on target to achieve its 2050 goals. As a result, the report calls for increased growth of solar and wind generation. It says that 5TW of solar power and 3TW of wind power across the world by 2030 would be necessary to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5°C.

Power Technology 11th Aug 2020 read more »

Cycling in the West Midlands is to get a re-brand, with regional leaders announcing the creation of a 500-mile ‘Starley Network’ of cycle trails. The £260m Starley Network will encompass existing trails, new routes and the ‘pop-up’ infrastructure created in the aftermath of the pandemic to join up routes across the entire region, Transport for West Midlands said. Consistent branding across the entire network – which will stretch from Wolverhampton to Solihull and beyond – will help to “reimagine and rebrand” cycling in the region, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said.

iNews 11th Aug 2020 read more »