Guardian: “Jeremy Leggett among 100 signatories to letter opposing oil firm’s likely influence over university’s climate change studies.” Read more
Solarcentury
The company I founded in 1998 to design and supply solar energy solutions for the built environment. Solarcentury
Solar Aid
The charity I founded in 2006, with a 5% contribution of Solarcentury profits, to help deliver solar lighting to Africa. Solar Aid
Solar = random desecration of the countryside: comedian.
Guardian: “The comedian Griff Rhys Jones has accused the government of “random desecration” of the countryside and despoiling “pristine landscapes” through its subsidies to wind turbines and solar power.” Read more
UK shale gas drillers confirm they will flare methane.
Guardian: “The two companies exploring for shale gas in the UK have confirmed that they intend to flare methane gas from their wells in a move that has been condemned by environmentalists.” Read more
European Commission recommends tariffs up to 67% on Chinese solar.
May 9, 2013 Clean Energy
REW: “ Wall Street Journal reports that the tariffs will affect more than 100 companies, and be implemented at a range from 37.3 to 67.9 percent at an average of 47.6 percent, close to projections earlier this week.” Read more
Oxford alumni condemn choice of Shell to fund earth sciences lab.
“Call a truce in the no-winners solar war.”
Jeremy Leggett in the FT: Europe is on the brink of a trade war with China in one of the fastest-growing global industries. America and China are already engaged in battle. The job-rich and emissions-low solar photovoltaics industry is heading for severe impairment, at best.” Read more
EDF CEO ready to quit if he can’t get his way with Hinkley Point reactor..
May 6, 2013 Nuclear
Times: “The chief executive of EDF Energy will leave Britain if the French company’s £14 billion Hinkley Point reactor project collapses.” Read more
EU trade commissioner favours 40% tariffs on Chinese solar panel imports.
May 5, 2013 Clean Energy
FT: “Europe’s trade chief is pushing to impose provisional duties of about 40 per cent on Chinese solar panels in a move that risks stirring wider trade tensions with Beijing and dividing the EU industry.” Read more
Bet on Obama backing the Keystone XL pipeline: John Dizard.
In the FT: “Many, if not most, of the headline-dominating Washington political fights are less significant than they appear to be. ….However, the fight between TransCanada, the sponsor of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from the Alberta tar sands to the US Gulf coast, and the North American environmental movement is a lot of noise about a very important matter.” Read more
The vital role of foundations in the retreat from fossil fuels.
Alliance magazine: “On 18 April Carbon Tracker, a UK-based foundation-led initiative, released its second report, Unburnable Carbon: Avoiding wasted capital and stranded assets. We need a managed, rapid and complete retreat from the use of fossil fuels if disastrous global warming is to be avoided, Jeremy Leggett, chair of Carbon Tracker, tells Caroline Hartnell.” Read more
FERC Chairman: Solar roofs help a US grid vulnerable to terrorist attack.
April 30, 2013 Clean Energy
Bloomberg: “The U.S. power grid is vulnerable to terrorist attacks, and the growing use of rooftop solar panels will provide protection against lengthy blackouts, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said.” Read more
Mosaic rolls out its third solar crowdfunding offer.
REW: “Barely three years old, the company has attracted over 1,200 investors to finance solar power generation projects, with contributions ranging from $25 to $10,000.” Read more
US solar company & Taiwanese manufacturer partner in Mexico.
April 29, 2013 Clean Energy
REW: “SunEdison, one of the companies that sparked the third-party ownership revolution with businesses — allowing them to install solar with little to no up-front costs — announced on April 23 that it partnered with Foxconn Technology to produce photovoltaics (PV) in Juarez, Mexico.” Read more
Top official working on EMR resigns as analyst warns HMG off gas reliance.
Guardian: “The government’s controversial electricity market reform (EMR) programme has been dealt a serious blow with the resignation of the top civil servant working on the scheme.” Read more
Scant evidence that US gas will stop growing oil demand: FT Alphaville.
Kate MacKenzie in the FT: “We’ve been reading a lot lately about the potential for cheap natural gas to replace oil-derived transport fuels in the US — and perhaps globally. Much of this excitement overlooks some fundamentals of energy and commodities in general and the US natural gas sector in particular.” Read more
Atmospheric CO2 concentration very near 400 ppm.
April 29, 2013 Climate
Guardian: “The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached 399.72 parts per million (ppm) and is likely to pass the symbolically important 400ppm level for the first time in the next few days.” Read more
BGS told by Treasury to redo disappointing report on shale resources.
April 28, 2013 Gas
FT: “George Osborne had wanted to herald in the budget the dramatic findings of a British Geological Survey report – that the extent of shale gas reserves in the UK has been vastly underestimated – as part of a sweeping pro-shale announcement, according to Whitehall sources.” Read more
Australian coal asset value could implode: Carbon Tracker.
Guardian: “Australia’s huge coal industry is a speculative bubble ripe for financial implosion if the world’s governments fulfil their agreement to act on climate change, according to a new report.” Read more
US cities join 350.org fossil-fuel divestment campaign.
Guardian: “The cities of San Francisco and Seattle have pulled their money out of fossil fuel companies, taking a climate divestment campaign from college campuses to local government. The campaign group 350.org said on Thursday it had won commitments from a total of 10 cities and towns to divest from 200 of leading fossil fuel companies.” Read more
Exxon’s oil and gas production falls.
April 25, 2013 Oil
FT: The two giants “reported earnings and production that were roughly unchanged in the first quarter of the year as they struggled to increase their oil and gas output.” Read more
Caudrilla censured by ASA over fracking claims.
April 24, 2013 Gas
Guardian: “Cuadrilla, the only shale fracking company operating in the UK, has been slapped down by the advertising watchdog for claiming that it uses “proven, safe technologies”. Read more
UK government’s climate advisors say gas dash blocks renewables.
April 24, 2013 Clean Energy, Gas
Guardian: The Committee on Climate Change “sounded caution on the prospects for widespread development of shale in the UK. It said that relying heavily on gas would scupper the UK’s chances of meeting emissions targets in the longer term, and prevent needed investments in low-carbon technologies.” Read more
Anonymous donations for solar projects grow across the US.
April 24, 2013 Clean Energy
REW: “As the enthusiasm for solar power grows, so does the generosity. Anonymous donors have been coming forward to fund solar projects at K-12 schools, universities and municipalities across the nation.”
Shell admits shale exploitation will be much slower outside the US.
FT: “The development of shale oil and gas reserves around the world will generally be much slower than in North America, a senior executive at Royal Dutch Shell has warned.” Read more