Energydesk
Guest Post: What will fracking look like?
In today’s Institute of Directors Report Cuadrilla make their case for what shale gas extraction will look like in the UK. Dr Ed Sherman got in touch with them in advance of the study – here are their replies to our questions and he’s take on what they had to say.
UK
Shale gas could supply a third of UK demand
A report sponsored by shale gas firm Cuadrilla and produced by the Institute of Directors suggests that shale gas could supply 1/3 of the UK’s natural gas demand (FT) or half (Times) environmental campaigners (ok, Greenpeace) questioned the reports assumptions.
Decc publishes figures on renewable investment
DECC claims that £29bn has been invested in renewable energy since 2010 with the potential to produce around 30,000 jobs.
Efficiency to be included in ‘capacity auctions’
Ok, this is a bit wonkish – but stay with us. The government was going to offer bill-payers money to under-used fossil fuel power stations not to produce power, but to be online in case we need backup (a nuclear plant fails, the wind doesn’t blow etc). Now it’s thinking of making that money available to pay people who reduce or manage demand instead – via capacity auctions. Or, as the Times prefers to put it, “householders would pay the bill for supermarkets to turn down their fridges at night”.
World
EU Leaders discuss energy and fracking
EU leaders meeting in Brussels are set to discuss the issue of how to ensure Europe’s energy bills remain competitive. Leaders are expected to call on the commission to look at what can be done – including progress on fracking, interconnection and ‘harmonisation’ between the blocs energy markets.
Romania pulls back from renewables
Unlike most of its neighbours Romania is already close to meeting its 2020 targets for renewable energy. But the country, once seen as a haven for renewable investment, is now looking to claw back some of the money offered through ‘green certificates’ in order to control energy bills.
Climate
Surface warming slowdown doesn’t impact overall climate sensitivity
Carbon Brief reports on a new study by a group of respected climate scientists into the issue of how much the earth responds to increases in carbon dioxide concentrations. The study found climate sensitivity – as it is known – at the low end of the current consensus, but with a very wide possible range. However it also found that slower surface temperature rises over the past decade don’t fundamentally change our view of how much warming we can expect in the long term.
