A windswept archipelago that bears the brunt of Atlantic storms, with a dense and growing population: Britain’s conditions are perfect for an industry with a stable future.
In addition to its natural resources, the UK’s energy economics create good market potential for renewables: high retail electricity prices, Europe-wide natural gas prices of around €15 per mmbtu, energy security concerns, an aging nuclear fleet and environmental restrictions on shale gas. Keep reading →
December was an extremely windy month in the United Kingdom, resulting in wind farms supplying a record high of 12.2% of the UK’s electricity demand on December 28, and an average of 5.3% of demand over the entire month. That surge in wind power helped the UK cut its carbon emissions by over 750,000 tons – equivalent to taking over 300,000 cars off the road.
Wind power is accounting for an increasing proportion of the UK’s energy supply (maybe that’s what inspired the recent, seemingly desperate high-profile attack on wind). Two UK wind power developers have already hit the 1-gigawatt (GW) mark in installed capacity, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. According to new figures released by the the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), the UK now has enough wind power to keep the lights on at more than 3.3 million homes. Keep reading →
The founding president of the offshore division of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer said that if the industry does not drive down costs, then it risks killing itself off in its nascent phase.
“Offshore wind is a higher cost energy because we are where we are in the learning curve,” said Anders Søe-Jensen, president of the offshore division at Vestas. “We are at risk but we all have to commit to bringing down costs otherwise we’re going to kill our industry.” Keep reading →
