Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

Cardew

Martyn1981 said:

Give me an 'S', give me a 'C', ..... [just realised how long the name is] ...... what does it spell .... 'SCOTLAND' 

Renewables surge to 90% of Scottish power demand

New figures show the equivalent of 90% of Scotland's electricity consumption now comes from renewable sources - an increase of 14% year-on-year.
Trade organisation Scottish Renewables welcomed the figures and said the country’s 100% by 2020 could still be met but that policy uncertainty over recent years had limited deployment.

I wonder how the SNP will view that news on electricity, given their case for Scotland's Independance is still largely based on producion of oil and gas.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1252811/Scotland-economy-oil-prices-crude-oil-north-sea-oil-Nicola-sturgeon-snp

The news is a massive blow to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and comes at particularly critical time for Scotland, which heavily depends on oil revenue to prop up its economy. Scotland possesses 96 percent of the UK’s crude oil and 63 percent of natural gas production.

Ms Sturgeon has pinned her independence hopes on being able to secure sole ownership of the oil fields, which sit in the UK’s territorial waters, to underpin the Scottish economy.

The SNP’s blueprint for a successful independent Scotland is based on the price of North Sea oil. But today's plummeting values show just how massively volatile the oil market can be and how dangerous it could be to pin an entire economy on oil. The SNP argued during its failed independence campaign in 2014 that it could maintain its economy through the production of oil in the region.

Martyn1981

Selling loads of clean, green Scottish leccy to England, seems like a great plan. Wins for everyone, except perhaps those bad losers still betting on a profitable future for FF's and nuclear, I suppose.

Coastalwatch

Announced today, EDF have postponed their application for building Sizewell C. Due entirely to the C19 outbreak reckoning that it might be an insensitive time to make such a submission.

I do also wonder if it might have anything to do with the lack of interest shown by the public when they appealed for upfront subscriptions from them to assist with the escalating costs of building it!

Solarchaser

Cardew said:

Martyn1981 said:

Give me an 'S', give me a 'C', ..... [just realised how long the name is] ...... what does it spell .... 'SCOTLAND' 

Renewables surge to 90% of Scottish power demand

New figures show the equivalent of 90% of Scotland's electricity consumption now comes from renewable sources - an increase of 14% year-on-year.
Trade organisation Scottish Renewables welcomed the figures and said the country’s 100% by 2020 could still be met but that policy uncertainty over recent years had limited deployment.

I wonder how the SNP will view that news on electricity, given their case for Scotland's Independance is still largely based on producion of oil and gas.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1252811/Scotland-economy-oil-prices-crude-oil-north-sea-oil-Nicola-sturgeon-snp

The news is a massive blow to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and comes at particularly critical time for Scotland, which heavily depends on oil revenue to prop up its economy. Scotland possesses 96 percent of the UK’s crude oil and 63 percent of natural gas production.

Ms Sturgeon has pinned her independence hopes on being able to secure sole ownership of the oil fields, which sit in the UK’s territorial waters, to underpin the Scottish economy.

The SNP’s blueprint for a successful independent Scotland is based on the price of North Sea oil. But today's plummeting values show just how massively volatile the oil market can be and how dangerous it could be to pin an entire economy on oil. The SNP argued during its failed independence campaign in 2014 that it could maintain its economy through the production of oil in the region.

Most people in Scotland that are under 70 stopped reading the tabloid garbage a long time ago.

I'd imagine Ms. Sturgeon had a right good laugh at the headline of a "massive blow" when she has been trying to push it forward, and is succeeding. 

There has been a big push for renewables in Scotland, and even another £300 grant on top of the £500 grant the UK government was supplying for home chargers for EVs.

The idea that independence is pinned on oil is simply something the right wing media want people to believe.

Martyn1981

Harmony primed for Wiltshire battery build

UK company Harmony Energy has secured planning permission for an almost 50MW energy storage system at Salisbury, Wiltshire, in England.

“This scheme will connect to the distribution network at 132kV, allowing more intermittent renewable energy from wind and solar projects to be installed onto the grid.

EricMears

Cardew said:

 Scotland possesses 96 percent of the UK’s crude oil and 63 percent of natural gas production.

Not sure that possesses is true !    Lays claim to might be more accurate ?

silverwhistle

I would only point out to Cardew that self-determination is far more important than the economy and co-operation, or so I kept being told by those keen on Brexit.

Martyn1981

Oil prices and RE investment don't seem to be linked, and falling oil prices actually make investments in them more risky (less profitability).

Oil Price Volatility Will Give A Boost To Renewables

Valentina Kretzschmar, vice president of corporate research for Wood Mackenzie, writes in a recent research note, “Could low oil prices slow down global growth in renewables? Historically, the oil price has shown no correlation with investment in renewables. The installation of both wind and solar continued to increase through the last oil price downturn.” She offers the chart below as proof.

In addition to price stability, low oil prices are also making investments in renewables more appealing. Kretzschmar says, “At US$60/bbl, solar and wind assets — with average returns of 5-10% IRR — have found it difficult to compete with expected double digit returns for oil and gas. But at the current oil price, returns from oil and gas are now in line with what investors can expect from low risk solar and wind projects.” Price parity and stability may be the formula that turbocharges the renewable energy industry in coming years.

EricMears

silverwhistle said:

I would only point out to Cardew that self-determination is far more important than the economy and co-operation, or so I kept being told by those keen on Brexit.

Still puzzled why Ms Sturgeon feels the need to be independent of England but happy to sacrifice self-determination by joining the EU.  The two strands are completely incompatible !

silverwhistle

Not really. More advantage to be in a larger club you can influence rather than a small isolated family you cannot.

In energy terms though I can see a greater push for better links to England to sell surpluses, and pumped storage schemes like SSE's Coire Glas, although delays there seem more based on how the power will be paid for.