Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 29/09/20.
News: World’s first commercial-grade hydrogen plane takes flight in UK, as government urged to grow ‘green’ hydrogen sector – Edie.net
25 September 2020. The first flight of a hydrogen-powered, commercial-grade aircraft has been successfully completed in Bedford, while UK ministers face fresh calls to help scale up the domestic market for hydrogen produced using renewables:
News: Renewables near 50% of generation share in Q2 as records continue to be broken – Current News
25 September 2020, Alice Grundy. The technologies scooped up a 44.6% share of electricity generation in the quarter, a record for Q2 and up 9 percentage points on the share in Q2 2019, according to new statistics from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS):
Renewables near 50% of generation share in Q2 as records continue to be broken
News: Climate change: China aims for ‘carbon neutrality by 2060’ – BBC News Online
22 September 2020, Matt McGrath. China will aim to hit peak emissions before 2030 and for carbon neutrality by 2060, President Xi Jinping has announced:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54256826
News: What’s in Boris Johnson’s climate in tray? – BBC News Online
26 September 2020, Roger Harrabin. A huge breakthrough in climate policy was signalled this week when China announced it will reduce its emissions to net zero by 2060. It’s a potentially game-changing leap, following in the footsteps of the UK’s existing 2050 net zero target:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54296828
Article: Tiny wind turbine generates energy during a brisk walk – Engineering & Technology
24 September 2020. A “tiny wind turbine” that can scavenge wind energy from breezes created by activity as gentle as a brisk walk has been developed by Chinese researchers. The method is touted as a low-cost and efficient way of using light breezes as a micro-energy source:
News: Future Homes Task Force to ensure housebuilding is aligned to UK’s net-zero target – Edie.net
24 September 2020. A new cross-sector Future Homes Task Force is set to establish a multi-million-pound Delivery Hub to assist the built environment sector in improving the environmental footprint of new housebuilding:
National Statistics: Energy Trends: September 2020 – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
24 September 2020. ‘Energy Trends’ is a quarterly bulletin containing statistics on all major aspects of energy in the UK:
News story: PM: ‘Climate action cannot be another victim of coronavirus’ – Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, and The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP
24 September 2020. PM Boris Johnson will address a UN Climate Action Roundtable hosted by the UN Secretary-General:
PM: ‘Climate action cannot be another victim of coronavirus’
Consultation: Statutory consultation on a proposal to modify licences held by Transmission Owners Electricity System Operator and Gas Distribution Networks in extraordinary circumstances due to COVID-19 – Ofgem
23 September 2020. Statutory consultation on a proposal to modify licences held by Transmission Owners, Electricity System Operator, and Gas Distribution Networks in extraordinary circumstances due to COVID-19. This statutory consultation follows on from our open letter of July 2020:
Open consultation: Proposals for a green gas levy – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
22 September 2020. Views sought on policy options for a new levy on gas suppliers to fund support for green gas injection into the gas grid:
Press release: Gas goes green as UK takes another step toward net zero – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP
22 September 2020. Government has launched a consultation to scale up green gas and reduce emissions from the gas grid:
Gas goes green as UK takes another step toward net zero
News: Energy white paper to be published in autumn says Kwarteng – Current News
21 September 2020, Molly Lempriere. The heavily delayed Energy White Paper will be published in autumn, minister Kwasi Kwarteng confirmed last week:
https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/energy-white-paper-to-be-published-in-autumn-says-kwarteng
News: Green Finance Institute launches Zero Carbon Heating Taskforce to unlock investment – Current News
17 September 2020, Molly Lempriere. The Green Finance Institute has launched a Zero Carbon Heating Taskforce, to develop a portfolio of financial solutions to unlock investment in the sector:
News: Ministers accused of blocking plans to ban burning of UK peatlands – Guardian Online
20 September 2020, Toby Helm and Robin McKie. Failure to protect fragile moors habitat fans doubts about the government’s green credentials:
News: Carbon prices to climb 50% over next decade following raised EU climate targets – Edie.net
17 September 2020. Carbon prices across the European Union (EU) could increase by more than 50% over the next decade, with the bloc’s proposed 55% reduction in emissions set to shape renewables and fossil fuel markets in the long-run, according to new analysis from the Refinitiv Carbon Research team:
Carbon prices to climb 50% over next decade following raised EU climate targets
News: Plug-in hybrids are a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ – BBC News Online
16 September 2020. Carbon dioxide emissions from plug-in hybrid cars are as much as two-and-a-half times higher than official tests suggest, according to new research:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54170207
News: Hitachi to pull plug on north Wales nuclear power station – Guardian Online
16 September 2020, Justin McCurry. Scrapping of £16bn project on Anglesey down to lack of UK government investment in new nuclear, says union:
Consultation: Reviewing the potential impact of COVID-19 on the default tariff cap: September 2020 policy consultation – Ofgem
14 September 2020. This policy consultation sets out our initial thinking on how the COVID-19 crisis might have impacted suppliers’ costs, whether we should adjust the default tariff cap (“the cap”), and if so, how: