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Good energy in Manchester: hope, revelation and 'Grid 2.0'
Posted by bex on 5 October 2007.
Update (15/10/2007): Our video interview with Pete Bradshaw of Man City FC is now included:
And there's a podcast from the event on BusinessAssurance.com.
I've been an avid (my friends might say evangelical) fan of decentralised energy ever since I first got my head around it. When I started working for Greenpeace, the organisation was in full swing on a decentralised energy campaign and part of my job was to communicate what it is and why it can do so much more than nuclear to combat climate change.
There have followed 20 months (for me) of virtual shouting from the rooftops. Films have been produced; countless blogs have been written; submissions have been made to energy reviews and audit committees; our campaigners and policy boffins have met with government representatives; dozens of volunteers have visited MPs; many thousands more have written to theirs.
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Greenpeace on the Severn barrage
Reacting to the news that the Sustainable Development Commission has endorsed plans for a tidal barrage across the Severn estuary, Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said:
“Tidal power can provide the UK with a tremendous amount of energy along with other marine renewables like wave power. And, importantly, it can do so without creating dangerous climate change emissions or nuclear waste. The Severn barrage could be a huge resource of carbon free energy, but the jury’s still out on the best way to reap the tidal power of the river without having huge environmental impacts on wading birds. Offshore wind, as a cheaper option, should also be much higher up the government's priority list. The UK has about 40% of Europe's wind resource which could be harnessed to meet our demand for energy. For example the London Array, in the Thames estuary, will supply 750,000 homes in London at a cost of around £1.5 billion."
The SDC says the project should meet "tough" environmental conditions and remain in public ownership. The barrage, it says, should have to prove its green credentials by complying with legislation protecting the estuary.
The commission estimated the cost of the project at £14bn. It is estimated that the proposed barrage would generate between 5-10% of the UK’s electricity.
For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255.
SDC report on tidal power - Greenpeace responds
On Monday the Sustainable Development Commission will release its report on tidal power across the UK.
In the wake of a government announcement last Tuesday, it is widely expected that the SDC will recommend further detailed appraisal of a Severn Barrage project. Greenpeace has long supported renewable energy, including getting power from the tides if the environmental impacts can be minimised.
John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, said:
"Tidal power can provide the UK with a tremendous amount of energy along with other marine renewables like wave power. And, importantly, it can do so without creating dangerous climate change emissions or nuclear waste. The Severn barrage could be a huge resource of carbon free energy, but the jury's still out on the best way to reap the tidal power of the river without having huge environmental impacts on wading birds.
"Offshore wind, as a cheaper option, should also be much higher up the government's priority list. The UK has about 40% of Europe's wind resource which could be harnessed to meet our demand for energy. For example the London Array, in the Thames estuary, will supply 750,000 homes in London at a cost of around £1.5 billion."
For more information contact the Greenpeace Press Office on 0207 865 8255