Wind power supplied an average of 5.3% of the UK’s demand for electricity for December and early January, reaching a record share of 12.2% on 28th December. As a result, carbon emissions from the UK’s electricity generators were cut by over 750,000 tonnes, equivalent to taking over 300,000 cars off the road. Dr Gordon Edge, … Read more
A decrease in both gas and electricity prices drove the Bord Gais Energy Index 1% lower for the month of December but it was 5% higher for 2011 as a whole. The ongoing European sovereign debt crisis, fears about global economic growth in 2012 and a mild start to the winter across Ireland, the UK … Read more
Payzone, Ireland’s largest consumer payments network, has introduced a new ‘top up’ payments solution, that will support the roll-out of modern PrePayment Meters (PPMs) in the gas and electricity markets. Installations of the new PrePayment Meters to eligible electricity customers commenced earlier in November as part of a three year roll-out plan aimed at over … Read more
Wind energy in the EU will more than triple its power output by 2020 with Eur194 billion invested in European onshore and offshore wind farms during this decade, predicts the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). Electricity production from wind power is expected to increase from 182 Terawatt hours (TWh) or 5.5% of the total EU … Read more
The Commission for Energy Regulation has decided to implement a debt flagging facility within the Irish gas and electricity market to alert energy companies when customers wishing to switch suppliers already have outstanding energy bills. The flagging mechanism will apply to domestic gas or electricity customers owing €250 or more for over 42 days, and … Read more
Bord Gais Eireann is showing strong growth in its gas and electricity businesses, continued development of new assets and a significant increase in its energy customer numbers. Despite the challenging domestic environment, the company performed well in 2010. Turnover grew by 12% to Eur1.51 billion, while profit before tax remained relatively stable at Eur120 million. … Read more
EnBW Energie, the third largest energy company in Germany, has commenced the operation of the country’s first commecercial offshore wind farm – EnBW Baltic 1 off the Baltic Sea coast. Located 16 kilometres from the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern coastline, EnBW Baltic 1 incorporates 21 wind power turbines, each with an installed power of 2.3 megawatts. Together they … Read more
The economic crisis, the evolving EU policy context and recent developments in technology require new approaches to domestic energy policy, according to a new report – A Review of Irish Energy Policy – by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). While the objectives of policy remain the enhancement of competitiveness, ensuring a secure energy … Read more
China added 18.9 GW of new wind power capacity last year to reach a total installed capacity of 44.7 GW, according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). The new numbers for China also result in revised figures for global wind power growth in 2010, with the new capacity added over the year amounting to … Read more
The recent start-up of the grid interconnection between the UK and the Netherlands is a major step forward for a better interconnected electricity grid in Europe. The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) is a strong supporter of an integrated power grid in Europe and believes that the BritNed link, which has just gone live, is … Read more