Damian's energy dispatch

A summary of today's stories...

UK

RWE Npower says bills will rise and it's not their fault
Energy firm RWE Npower has produced research saying government policies to insulate homes and generate clean energy will - together - add £240 to bills by 2020. The research assumed no reduction in demand due to energy efficiency and removed the cost of European carbon credits from the cost of gas generation - calling it a policy cost as well. The research effectively implies that consumers will pay for energy efficiency measures which will have little or no impact.

Treasury set to announce 30% tax break for shale
The Treasury will 'this week' announce a 30% tax break for the shale gas industry. The cut would reduce the tax from 62% to approximately 30%.

Public supportive of clean energy - but doesn't trust providers
A study by Cardiff University has shown the public supports clean energy - but doesn't trust the providers of energy saving options.

EDF Nuclear plants to reap windfall from carbon tax
Emily Gosden reports on an analysis which suggests EDF will benefit from higher wholesale electricity prices generated by the government's carbon floor price.

WORLD

US to start exporting shale gas 
A report by the BBC's David Shukman suggests the US will be exporting shale gas from the converted Sabine Pass terminal by 2015 - and it could undermine Australian investment in LNG.

EU looks into complaint on exemption for Germany RE subsidies
The European commission is deciding whether to open a formal investigation into the German policy of exempting industrial users from the costs of renewable energy. 

Each degree of warming raises sea levels by 2.3 meters
Carbon Brief reports on new research which has for the first time combined records of past climates and models of the future to estimate how much sea levels will rise even if global temperatures peak. Each degree of global warming could commit earth to 2.3 metres of sea level rise over the next two thousand years, it suggests.

Fracking firms look to recycle fluid
US fracking firms - under pressure over use of freshwater supplies and the costs of trucking fluids to underground disposal - are investigating ways to recycle waste fluid and use it again in the fracking process.