The UK is at growing risk of missing legally binding climate targets after the pace of decarbonisation slowed last year, new analysis has concluded.The warnings, which compound others from a raft of industry groups and energy watchdogs, come despite “every conceivable” renewable energy record, with the exception of those relating to hydro generation, falling last
The rollout of the Green New Deal will hit some roadblocks. But its overarching theme is that the nation should go totally green by 2030 to avert the irreversible effects of climate change. It’s the latest volley in the war of energy ideas — one that must ultimately address jobs, the economy and cost.President Obama’s
Former chancellor George Osborne’s decision to scrap the Zero Carbon homes policy is costing occupants of new-build homes more than £200 per year, essentially three times the targeted savings from Ofgem’s price cap.New analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit has found that the policy move, one of the newly-elected Conservative government’s first in
EDF Energy has confirmed it will close the 2GW Cottam coal plant at the end of September, blaming “challenging market conditions” and the country’s decarbonisation drive.The French energy giant announced today that the facility, which has been producing power for more than 50 years, will close after it was deemed to be no longer economically
Environmental and social problems could interact in global breakdown
At least a third of the huge ice fields in Asia’s towering mountain chain are doomed to melt due to climate change, according to a landmark report, with serious consequences for almost 2 billion people.Even if carbon emissions are dramatically and rapidly cut and succeed in limiting global warming to 1.5C, 36% of the glaciers
It’s only just February but, amidst intense disruption, 2019 looks set to be a year in which the energy supplier sector could change for good.Yesterday’s news that npower was to lose some 900 jobs over the coming year was perhaps a surprise, but not necessarily unexpected. The supplier, owned by German energy giant innogy, may
The climate data for 2018 is now mostly in, though the ongoing shutdown of the US government has caused some datasets to be delayed.In this article, Carbon Brief explains why last year proved to be so remarkable across the oceans, atmosphere, cryosphere and surface temperature of the planet.
Traditionally, utilities built and operated a portfolio of generation plants consisting of a few large base load units – typically nuclear or coal – some intermediate plants and a number of peakers – typically natural gas fired units with rapid ramping capability (visual below).Base load units ran flat out year-round, 24/7; the intermediate units were
Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) has unveiled two landmark solar-plus-storage projects on existing landfill sites which aim to be the first of their kind in the UK.CCC, which has been a prominent proponent of renewables, last week unveiled plans to develop the energy projects on landfill sites in Woodston and Stanground, both near Peterborough.