 North Hoyle visit August 2008 (SEA)
SEA together with Mon a Gwynedd Friends of the Earth
make a formal complaint to the ASA February 13th 2012
Sustainable Energy Alliance together with Mon a Gwynedd Friends of the Earth, the environmental groups supporting wind power on Anglesey have this week jointly submitted a formal complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) - the independent body which polices the rules laid down in the advertising code - against Anglesey Against Wind Turbines (AAWT), the group opposing wind power on the island, for claims made in a leaflet which has been handed out at public meetings and distributed door to door in the Menai Bridge area on Anglesey.
The green groups believe that a number of the claims used by AAWT in the printed material to gain support in opposing wind farms are factually incorrect or misleading.
SEA Coordinator Jonathan Lincoln said " We believe that the claims must bring into question the validity of their argument against wind power and that any support gained by AAWT based on this material and subsequent petitions submitted to the planning authority should be deemed as inadmissible as the signatories have clearly been misled."
Rick Mills of Mon a Gwynedd Friends of the Earth added, "Controversial claims made by AAWT are being repeated uncritically by councillors and others. We therefore believe it is appropriate to submit these claims to the ASA, so that an independent body can examine their validity. Judgements on wind energy should be based on sound evidence."
The contested claims on the leaflet, which has been printed and handed out to members of the public, include statements concerning the value of wind energy in cutting carbon emissions and effects on tourism and health. One controversial claim is that "Low frequency noise generated by turbines affects your health. The noise is felt as much as heard.Think of thudding bass of next door neighbour's stereo - that always plays the same song and is never switched off."
A joint press release by the two environmental groups was issued to the local media advising them of the complaint against AAWT.
SEA make a submission to Anglesey County Council's
planning guidance consultation February 8th 2012
Sustainable Energy Alliance (SEA), have this week made a submission to the Isle of Anglesey County Council's Supplementary Planning Guidance Public consultation, for onshore wind energy. The group is calling on the council to adopt a pro wind and supportive policy when dealing with any wind farm planning applications, be that for a wind farm or a single turbine.
Chepstow firm Mabey Bridge's 45 wind turbine deal jobs
January 20th 2012
A south Wales manufacturer has won a multi-million pound order to build 35 wind turbine towers for UK sites. Mabey Bridge has taken on 45 people and transferred 50 more to its factory in Chepstow, Monmouthshire after the deal with the German company Nordex.
Fourteen towers will be sited at the Pant-y-Wal wind farm in Rhondda, the rest will go to Scotland. The firm described the deal as "a real boost" for its staff after a challenging year. Mabey Bridge created 240 jobs when it opened its £38m factory in Chepstow in May of last year.
The facility is capable of producing up to 300 towers a year. The company said production of the 120-tonne towers, which will stand between 65-70 metres, will begin in mid-February with the factory working around the clock. Some 170 staff would be working on the project.
The company said the turbine towers, destined for west of Gilfach Goch in the Rhondda valleys in June, would be the first made by a Welsh company to be installed in Wales. The remaining 21 towers will stand at the Baillie wind farm near Thurso on the north coast of Scotland, also in June.
The two sets of turbines will have the capacity to meet the demands of the equivalent of 60,000 homes.
Source BBC News Wales
Renewables rising-wind power passes
the six gigawatt threshold January 18th 2012
RenewableUK, the trade association representing the renewable energy industries, has announced that the countries wind sector has reached a landmark 6 gigawatts of installed capacity - enough to supply electricity to 3,354,893 homes.
The 6GW threshold was reached by the Ormonde offshore wind farm, off the coast of Cumbria, which now has 120 megawatts (MW) operational - enough to power more than 67,000 homes.
The news was announced at RenewableUK's Annual Parliamentary Reception on Wednesday night, where the keynote political speaker was the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP, who said "This is a significant milestone for the wind industry which demonstrates the increasingly important role that renewable energy is playing in the UK's energy mix."
He continued " working together, we can reach even greater heights. We are eager to ensure that the UK becomes the natural home for the most innovative, ambitious and inspiring renewable energy companies in the world, and we will continue to work with the industry to drive down costs and encourage even stronger growth in the years to come."
Source RenewableUK
Wind farms hit high of more than 12%
of UK electricity demand January 6th 2012
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 dioxide emissions from the UK's electricity generators were cut by over 750,000 tonnes, equivalent to taking over 300,000 cars off the road.
Renewable UK praised the National Grid's successful management of high levels of wind output. National Grid is responsible for balancing the output of the UK's electricity generators with demand from consumers and businesses on a minute by minute basis.Integrating the variable output of wind generators involves taking a range of balancing actions, including the rate at which fossil fuel generators consume fuel when wind output is higher.
Last year, National Grid launched a new wind power forecasting system. allowing their engineers to more accurately predict output from the UK's growing fleet of wind farms.
Source RenewableUK
It's official - wind generates "substantially" more electricity.
December 22nd 2011
The latest government figures on the amount of electricity generated by wind power have been welcomed by RenewableUK, the country's largest renewables trade energy association, as proof of the increasingly significant contribution wind energy makes to UK households.
Statistics for the third quarter of 2011, released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, show that renewable energy sources generated 9 per cent of the UK's electricity from July to September. That represents an increase of nearly 1 per cent on the same quarter last year.
DECC highlighted the fact that the amount of electricity generated from offshore wind has increased "substantially", compared to the same quarter in 2010, partly because of increased capacity and partly because it was the windiest September for at least ten years.
When the overall figures for the first three quarters of 2011 (January - September) are taken in to account, the statistics show a 64% increase in the amount of electricity generated by offshore wind on the same three quarters for last year ( up from 4865 gigawatt hours to 6618GWh) and a 35% increase for onshore wind ( up from 1943 GWh to 3189 GWh)
The UK now has enough installed capacity to supply more than 3,300,000 homes from wind energy.
Source RenewableUK
RenewableUK highlights the flaws in anti-wind energy report
December 12th 2011
RenewableUk has strongly criticised the report "Renewable Energy: Vision or Mirage", published on 12th December by Adam Smith Institute and Scientific Alliance. The report failed to recognise the hugely significant role that wind already plays in generating clean electricity in the UK.
The fact is that we have installed enough wind turbines to provide clean electricity to more than 3,200,000 homes in the UK, displacing more than six and a half million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
It is also a fact that wholesale gas prices have risen by 40% over the last year. Depending on expensive imports of gas leaves us at the mercy of market forces we cannot control. Gas prices have driven domestic bills sky high - we need alternatives. RenewableUK said that the independent electricity regulator Ofgem says that cost of supporting wind adds only about £10 per year to the average domestic electricity bill of £600 - a figure far lower than those misreported in some sections of the media. Ofgem has also warned that any failure to invest in renewable energy will result in domestic bills increasing by as much as 52%, if we remain over-reliant on increasingly expensive fossil fuels from unstable regimes abroad.
It is impossible to build a nuclear power complex in a short time frame, and no new nuclear power plant is due to go operational in the UK before 2020, furthermore the cost of disposing radioactive waste will always make nuclear expensive.
Source RenewableUK
Energy minister in outspoken attack on "green economy
deniers" October 26th 2011
In an outspoken attack on "green economy deniers", UK Energy Minister Chris Huhne has put the spotlight on the economic benefits of Britain investing in green energy.
The Cabinet Secretary highlighted more than a hundred announcements in this financial year alone that add up to almost £1.7Bn in renewable investment and over 9000 jobs in regions the length and breadth of the UK. Speaking at an annual conference of the renewables industry, Huhne attacked what he called " an unholy alliance of short-termists, armchair engineers, climate sceptics and vested interested interests, who are selling the UK economy short."
The Energy Secretary said "Renewable energy technologies will deliver a third industrial revolution. Its impact will be every bit as profound as the first two."
More of this article to follow....
Region's MPs lobbied over Dogger Bank wind farm Oct 12th 2011
MPs from Yorkshire and the Humber are being asked to support plans for a 2,600 turbine wind farm which could be built 100 miles off the east coast. A delegation representing 22 councils is travelling to Parliament later to lobby MPs about the proposed 3,475 sq mile ( 9,000 sq km) site at Dogger Bank. The delegates claim offshore wind farms could create 115,000 jobs in the UK.
The Dogger Bank wind farm is licensed for probable construction and could supply 10% of the UK's electricity. In July 2010, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne identified Dogger Bank as a prime area for offshore development.
Tom Fox, vice chairman of the cross-party local government Yorkshire and Humber organization, who is leading the delegation to Westminster, said " It was vital MPs played their part in promoting the the proposed offshore wind farm." He added "They can lobby, they can engage ministers with their knowledge and they can put forward strong arguments as to why the Yorkshire and Humber region should be supported by the wind farm industry."
The Vice Chairman went on to say " If the offshore wind farm was given the go-ahead, it would have a massive impact on the region, it's about jobs, it's about the economy and it's about regeneration, north Yorkshire is a low-pay economy and we really need to bring some specialist industries in to raise the profile of the region."
Source BBC News England Oct 12th 2011
Mostyn Port deal creates 100 Gwynt-Y-Mor
wind farm jobs October 5th 2011
A Flintshire port has been chosen as a base to support and maintain a giant offshore wind farm, creating 100 jobs. RWE npower renewables said the £50m deal with the Port of Mostyn would run for the 25 year life of Gwynt-Y-Mor.
Cammell Laird shipyard, at Birkenhead, will support the construction and operation of the wind farm, which will be fully operational by 2014. The wind farm is expected to generate electricity for about 400,000 homes when completed. The scheme will see 160 wind turbines sited about nine miles off the coast near Colwyn Bay and Llandudno
RWE npower renewables said it would be offering long term, skilled engineering jobs at the port. Mostyn will be the base for all of the company's offshore wind farms in the area - at Liverpool Bay, North Hoyle, Rhyl Flats and Gwynt-Y-Mor.
Source BBC News Wales Oct 5th 2011
RWE Innogy names first offshore installation vessel
September 18th 2011
RWE Innogy has named the first offshore installation vessel the "Freidrich Ernestein" and the ship will construct the Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm off the north Wales coast. The vessel, which is the first of its type in the world, is able to transport up to four large-scale offshore wind turbines at the same time, and subsequently install them at sea.
The vessel also has extendable steel legs which hold it firmly in place, standing on the sea bed, furthermore the ship is specially fitted with a crane, exerting a lifting force of up to 1000 tonnes. This transforms the vessel in to a jack-up platform from which foundations can be installed and wind turbines constructed..
In the UK, RWE Innogy is already operation the offshore wind farms North Hoyle (60MW) and Rhyl Flats ( 90MW) off the north Wales coast.
Source 4-traders.com
Renewable Energy Foundation - September 29th 2011
The Renewable Energy Foundation ( REF) is a front for biofuel and energy intensive industries, and anti wind campaigners...The Renewable Energy Foundation sounds like a nice green charity that serves the cause of green energy, but in fact it is a front for the interest of biofuels companies, energy intensive and even oil and gas companies.
There have been many criticisms of REF over the years, particularly from the rest of the renewable energy sector, such as Renewable UK and Good Energy. Juliet Davenport, CEO of Good Energy, has said" The problem with the Renewable Energy Foundation is that their name is misleading, it suggests that they are in favour of renewable energy when actually the opposite is true."
The REF is registered as a charity at the Charity Commission, which means it can claim charitable tax status, Its website lists a chairman and three trustees, all of whom have strong links to either the biofuels and/or oil and gas industries. The Charity Commission has even investigated and cautioned them on the grounds that they were politically lobbying
Further details of this article can be seen at
Source Energy and Environmental Management magazine
Hawton wind farm, public exhibition September 15th 2011
A public exhibition will be held for the proposed Hawton wind farm on Thursday September 22nd, between 2.30pm and 7pm at the Hawtonville Community Centre, St Mary's Gardens, Newark NG24 4JQ. Further information about the project can be found at www.hawtonwindfarm.co.uk The exhibition will provide and opportunity to meet the team from Bolsterstone wind power and find out more details about the scheme.
£110,000 unpaid council tax and business rates September 15th 2011
South Holland District Council won liability orders on Tuesday to recover more than £110,000, owed in unpaid council tax and business rates. The council also brought proceedings against Jane and Julian Davies, now of Mayfair Drive, Spalding, who are alleged to owe two amounts - £1,009.99 and £253.75 in council tax and costs - for the house they quit in Deeping St Nicholas because of "alleged" noise from a nearby wind farm
Source Spalding Guardian September 15th 2011
Scotland's birds of prey "face decline"
over poisoning September 14th 2011
Scotland's rarest birds of prey risk decline because of deliberate poisoning , the RSPB have warned
RSPB Scotland said 29 birds had been confirmed as illegally poisoned in 2010, but warned that the number could be the "tip of the iceberg". Most incidents took place in areas managed for driven grouse shooting.
Official tests revealed that 13 buzzards, seven red kites, four golden eagles, two peregrines and one white-tailed sea eagle were deliberately poisoned. A further right birds were were also confirmed as victims of shooting, trapping or nest destruction.
RSPB Scotland said continued illegal poisoning could lead to the decline of slow breeding raptor populations, Stuart Housden, director of the organisation said " The criminal practice of illegally killing birds of prey remains a most serious conservation issue."
Source BBC News Scotland Sept 14th 2011
SEA believes that it is a shame that those who campaign against wind farm applications on the grounds of possible avian conflict seem less concerned with the threat from such illegal activities and the increase in use of banned agricultural pesticides, such as Aldicarb and and Carbofuran.
First turbine starts spinning at Vattenfall's
Ormonde offshore wind farm August 19th 2011
Vattenfall, the Swedish utility company took a major step closer to fully commissioning the Ormonde offshore wind farm yesterday, after switching on the first 5MW REpower turbine on site. A company spokesman said all 30 turbines should be generating power by this autumn, with full commissioning expected by the end of the year. Once fully operational, Ormonde will generate enough power annually to meet the equivalent electricity needs of around 100,000 UK households.
Energy Minister, Charles Hendry welcomed the news and said " The involvement of Burntisland Fabrications and Harland and Wolff in construction also marked a success for the UK offshore wind supply chain." He added " This is a real milestone fro the company and the people of Barrow -in-Furness, and I congratulate everyone involved for their efforts."
Ormonde is Vattenfall's third wind farm in UK waters, as the company already owns the 300MW Thanet and 90MW Kentish Flats offshore wind farms.
Source Businessgreen.com
Nuclear Plant shuts due to Tsunami Aug 4th 2011
The UK's only plant for processing plutonium into new fuel for nuclear reactors is to close as a result of the Japanese tsunami, threatening the loss of hundreds of jobs. The MOX site at Sellafield in Cumbria, only had customers in Japan, where reactors have been shut down after the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this year.
Anti nuclear campaigners said the plant had cost the public £1.4 billion in construction and running costs since building started in the mid 1990's. Friends of the Earth's policy and campaigns director Craig Bennet said "taxpayers were footing the bill for the Alice in wonderland economics of the nuclear industry."
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority ( NDA) said "there had been a changed risk profile for the Sellafield Mox plant (SMP) following the Japanese disaster which crippled the Fukushima reactors. They added " In order to ensure that the UK taxpayer does not carry a future financial burden from SMP, the only reasonable course of action is to close SMP at the earliest practical opportunity."
Source Yahoo News
SEA writes to John Griffiths,
the new Welsh Environment Minister July 26th 2011
SEA has written to John Griffiths, the new Environment Minister for Wales asking for his assurance that he will do all in his power to support renewable technologies and especially that of wind power in Wales, both at a local and national level.
The group has also urged him and the Assembly Government to stand by its TAN 8 commitments for renewable energy generation and the associated grid connection in mid Wales
Solar farm built at Hawton in six weeks July 21st 2011
One of Britain's largest solar farms has been built in Nottinghamshire in just six weeks. The 30 acre site at Hawton, near Newark, houses 21,600 solar panels and can power up to 1,500 homes.
The scheme. developed by Lark Energy, was given planning permission by Newark and Sherwood District Council in May of this year.
Jonathan Selwyn, managing director of Lark Energy, said " I am delighted that Lark Energy has played a leading role in demonstrating how large scale renewable energy can be deployed quickly, and with the support of the local community, to help the UK address its carbon reduction and energy security requirements.
Source BBC News Nottingham July 21st 2011
SEA take part in live BBC Radio debate July 18th 2011
Jonathan took part in a live debate on BBC Radio Wales regarding the TAN 8 document, mid Wales wind farm developments and associated grid connection. The show itself was broadcasted from the Royal Welsh Show and there were comments from those who supported and opposed the plans.
Government's roadmap points industry in right direction
July 13th 2011
RenewableUK, Britain's largest wind, wave and tidal association, has welcomed the Government's announcement of a massive offshore wind expansion, published today in the " UK Renewable Energy Roadmap". The association also welcomed today's publication of the Electricity Market Reform (EMR) document, stating that it properly addressed most of the industry's concerns.
In his far-reaching plans, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne, today called for up to 18GW of offshore wind capacity to be built by 2020 - up from 13GW in 2009's Renewable Energy Strategy. In addition, the Secretary of State also published the EMR proposals, billed as the most significant reform of our electricity market for 30 years.
RenewableUK commended the Secretary of State's decision to set up a working group to examine ways to drive down costs within the industry over the next decade, to benefit consumers and ensure that Britain maintains its position as the world leader on offshore wind. RenewableUK report on the subject, published in June, stated that given the right conditions costs could go down by 30%.
Source RenewableUK press release July 13th 2011
Japan PM Naoto Kan urges nuclear free future July 13th 2011
Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan has called for his country to develop into a nuclear-free society. amid rising public anger at the continuing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
In a televised news conference, Mr Kan said the country should harness renewable energy sources.
The 11th March earthquake and tsunami wrecked the Fukushima plant which continues to leak radioactive material.A large section of public opinion has turned against nuclear power
About 30% of Japan's electricity was nuclear generated before the Fukushima crisis, and the country had targeted raising that figure to 53% by 2030, But Mr Kan had already said this commitment should be scrapped. On Wednesday, he went a step further, saying:" We will aim at realising a society which can exist without nuclear power." He added, "The country should aim to develop alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass."
Source BBC New Asia-Pacific
Mabey Bridge "open for business"July 12th 2011
Manufacturer Mabey Bridge has rolled out its first batch of wind turbine towers from its factory in Chepstow, Wales, which are ready for delivery to wind farms in Yorkshire. The company is just one of two UK based manufacturers of wind turbine towers, the company's factory can produce 300 towers a year.
Last year, Mabey Bridge secured a preferred supplier agreement with REpower, one of the UK's biggest supplier of wind energy. The engineering firm is producing nine steel tubular towers for REpower, each completed tower is 80m in length, made up of three sections and weighs 150 tonnes.
Five of the towers will be stationed at the Seamer wind farm in north Yorkshire, while four will also go to the Marr wind farm in south Yorkshire.
Peter Lloyd, managing director of Mabey Bridge, said :"By rolling out the first completed batch of wind turbine towers, we are sending out a clear message that we are open for business. It now means that companies in this country no longer have to import wind turbine towers but instead they can buy British."
Source Yorkshire Post July 12th 2011
Embrace is now Action for Renewables (A4R) July 6th 2011
In an age when 90% of the public support the expansion of renewables, it is clear that enough of us already embrace a renewable future, we need to now make that a reality. This thinking lies behind the name change, Action for Renewables, formally known as "Embrace" is a campaign to support the expansion of all types of renewable energy, to give the information, training and tools needed to effectively act at all levels for the future that we need to see.
We need to take action now, the Government has halved the funding for wave and tidal power, a renewable energy source that could supply up to 20% of our electricity. This is despite David Cameron's personal commitment to putting "rocket boosters" behind this technology.
For further information about how you can help support this campaign, go to www.actionforrenewables.org
WWF Cymru : Welsh Government "failing in green aims"
June 30th 2011
The Welsh Government is failing to meet some of its key carbon emissions reduction aims, according to a report. WWF Cymru said targets were being missed in areas such as economic development, transport and housing.
The charity is urging the government to do more, after figures showed emissions in Wales rising, while they fell in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The report by Dr Alan Netherwood analyses how policy areas are performing against government targets.
A separate report from the UK Committee on Climate Change on the most recent emission data available, shows a falling in Scotland of 2.9% and 0.4% in N.Ireland but an increase of 4.7% in Wales
WWF Cymru is holding a conference in Cardiff on Thursday to examine how the Welsh Government can cut its carbon emissions over the next five years.
Anne Meikle, head of WWF Cymru, said :" Are we on target to become a One Planet, low carbon nation ?" " The short answer is we don't know, but possible is the likely answer."
She added, "We can congratulate the last government on setting some clear goals for an environmentally sustainable nation and for putting in place much of the policy framework to achieve this, however, at present there is no evidence that the cumulative effort adds up to what is required."
Source BBC News Wales politics
Vote deals blow for Italian Nuclear power plan June 15th 2011
Europe's nuclear industry was dealt another blow this week when Italian voters soundly rejected a referendum that would have restarted the country's nuclear program.
Following last month's decision to phase out nuclear power in Germany and Switzerland and a major poll in France indicating public sentiment there has shifted against the industry, Italian voters during the weekend firmly rejected a ballot measure to lift a 24 year old ban on new reactors.
The anti nuclear vote dealt a keen blow to plans of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who had advocated building new nuclear plants in 2013 to reduce Italy's dependence on foreign energy sources.
57 percent of Italians went to the polls and the vast majority of them - about 95 percent- chose to reject Berlusconi's plan and opted to keep in place a ban imposed in 1987, a year after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
The vote and Berlusconi's reversal on nuclear energy was greeted with euphoria by environmentalists and other opponents who had bitterly campaigned against allowing a resumption of the Italian nuclear industry.
Source UPI.com
National wind week UK June 12th - 19th 2011 June 12th 2011
The UK's annual festival of wind energy, Wind Week, is coming up on June 12th - June 19th. Energy from wind power is rapidly becoming part of everyday life. The week is a chance to celebrate the use of this truly sustainable and clean way of generating electricity. Further information as to the UK wide events can be found on the Renewable UK website www.renewable-uk.com
Nuclear phase-out can make Germany trailblazer - Merkel
June 1st 2011
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a decision to phase out nuclear power by 2022 can make her country a trailblazer in renewable energy, she added Germany would reap economic benefits from the move.
Germany is the biggest industrial power to renounce nuclear energy, in a policy reversal for the governing center-right coalition.
Mrs Merkel set up a panel to review nuclear power following the crisis at Fukushima in Japan. The crisis, triggered by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11th, led to mass anti nuclear protests across Germany. The Chancellor said that in its fundamental rethink of policy, Germany could set an example for other countries and "we believe we as a country can be a trailblazer for a new age of renewable energy sources" and " We can be the first major industrialised country that achieves its transition to renewable energy with all of the opportunities - for exports, development, technology, and jobs - it carries with it.
She also said that electricity in the future should be "safer and at the same time reliable and affordable", linking the decision to step back from nuclear power to the crisis in Japan.
Under the German plan, the country's seven oldest reactors - which were taken offline for a safety review immediately after the Japanese crisis - would never be used again. An eighth plant - the Kruemmel facility in northern Germany, which was already offline and has been plagued by technical problems - would also be shut down for good.
Source BBC News Europe
Monbiot comments on Glyn Davies and CPRW May 31st 2011
George Monbiot on the Guardian website made the following comments re Glyn Davies ( and his remarks on mid Wales wind farms) and CPRW.....
"But those who oppose wind farms can't help themselves. In Parliament earlier this month ( May), Glyn Davies, the MP who is leading the fight against wind farms in mid Wales, insisted that "Welsh wind farms have a load factor of just 19% - the lowest ever recorded" and that "the carbon impact of the development can never be compensated for any possible carbon benefit". Rubbish, the capacity factor for Welsh wind farms, the amount the turbines produce as a proportion of their idealised output is 26%.
Professor Gareth Harrison of Edinburgh University estimates that the carbon payback for wind developments in mid Wales Will roughly be twelve months ( all references on the Monbiot website) Davies like Simon Jenkins, also claimed that "so much more" could have been done with the same money had it been spent on wave and tidal power, offshore wind and solar photovoltaics. Should MP's not be obliged to do some research before they open their mouths in parliament ?
Anti-wind campaigners are also highly selective. The Campaign for the protection of Rural Wales obsessed by wind farms, says nothing about the opencast coal mines ripping south Wales apart. Nor do you hear a word about the destruction of the ecosystems of upland Wales ( and England and Scotland) by sheep grazing. The champions of the countryside want to save it from only one threat.
Source Guardian.co.uk
SEA writes to leading Welsh politicians May 30th 2011
A letter was sent to Carwyn Jones, The Assembly governments First Minister, thanking him for his supportive and welcome comments for renewable technologies spoken at the renewables energy conference in Cardiff and also urging him and the Assembly to stand by it's commitment to TAN 8 and Welsh renewable / Carbon reduction targets. SEA also cited the opening of the Mabey Bridge turbine tower facility in Chepstow as an important beginning for green jobs in Wales. Letters were sent to Ieuan Wyn Jones ( Plaid Cymru) and Kirsty Williams ( Welsh Lib Dems) asking for their assurance that they would back the TAN 8 document.
Carwyn Jones says "Wales must grasp energy decade"
May 27th 2011
Wales has to move to a green economy as fast as possible, says First Minister Carwyn Jones. The next decade must be Wales energy decade, he told a renewable energy conference in Cardiff, he said that he had taken personal responsibility for energy policy within the Welsh government. He added, "We see the next ten years in Wales as our country's energy decade and we must exploit its full potential, it will be decade when we press ahead with growth of the renewable and low carbon energy sector."
His department wants to double the amount of electricity generated from renewable resources by 2025 and to satisfy almost all Wales's energy needs from low carbon energy sources by 2050.
The First Minister said " We have got to shift to a resource-efficient, green economy as fast as possible, that move is vital, both to play our part in the global fight against climate change and also to promote greener, sustainable jobs."
Source BBC News
SEA writes to Stuart Stevenson MSP May 25th 2011
Jonathan on behalf of SEA wrote to Stuart Stevenson MSP, the newly appointed minister for the environment for the Scottish Government, offering congratulations in his new post and asking him to be fully supportive of renewables / wind power in Scotland. The letter also cited the recent take over of the Machrihanish turbine tower plant near Campbeltown and the real potential for further green jobs across Scotland.
Wind Towers Ltd buys Campbeltown wind turbine tower plant
May 20th 2011
A closure threatened factory in Argyll which manufactures towers for wind farms has been saved - four months after going into administration. The Campbeltown plant has been bought by Wind Towers Ltd, a joint venture between Scottish and Southern Energy ( SSE) and Marsh Wind Technology. The factory at Machrihanish employs more than 100 people.
In May, it was announced that that Wind Towers Ltd, had been given preferred bidder status, that deal has now been completed, securing the future of a major employer in the area
Highlands and Islands Enterprise has agreed to invest £3.4m as part of the deal and Argyll and Bute Council is also committed to a £12m infrastructure upgrade to Campbeltown Harbour and some road around the area to help make the most of the operations potential.
Ian Marchant, chief executive of SSE said: "SSE has invested in a range of new initiatives in the past year to ensure a robust and sustainable supply chain is created for renewable energy developers across Scotland.
First Minister Alex Salmond said: "When I met staff and management at Machrihanish in March, I was struck by their drive and determination to ensure turbine manufacturing continued at the plant,so, I am delighted that its long term future has now been secured with this successful sale to the SSE and Marsh joint venture."
Source BBC News May 20th 2011
SEA writes to Jane Davidson, Welsh environment minister
May 20th 2011
SEA has written to Jane Davidson, the Welsh Assembly Government minister for the environment asking that the assembly government stands by its commitment to the Tan 8 renewable energy strategy and the construction of wind farms and associated grid connection in mid Wales.
SEA writes to Charles Hendry MP May 19th 2011
Jonathan, on behalf of SEA wrote to Charles Hendry MP and Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change ( DECC) thanking him for taking the time for attending the official opening of the Mabey Bridge tower manufacturing plant in Chepstow. The letter also asked for his assurance that he would do all in his power to support wind farm sector growth and long term green jobs at a local and national level.
SEA issues press releases re opening of new tower plant
May13th 2011
SEA issued press releases, welcoming the opening of the Mabey Bridge wind turbine tower facility in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, to the media across Wales. We believe the opening of the plant is very good news for green jobs in Wales and for the wind farm industry across the UK, furthermore it is an important first step in supplying wind turbine towers to the UK's rapidly growing wind farm sector, both for on and offshore projects.
Mabey Bridge wind turbine factory opens in Chepstow
May 12th 2011
A factory building towers for wind turbines is being officially opened in Monmouthshire. Maybe Bridge says it has invested £38m and created 240 jobs at its site in Chepstow, which is capable of producing up to 300 towers a year.
UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry will open the factory on Thursday afternoon
The opening of the plant comes in the same week that wind turbine company Vestas announced plans to build a new factory in Kent, creating 2000 jobs.
The new factory in Chepstow marks a move by bridge manufacturers Maybe Bridge into the renewables sector and makes the company the only UK based supplier of wind turbine towers.
Company managing director Peter Lloyd said: "No longer will companies in this country have to import wind turbine towers but instead they can now buy British",he added "Our expertise and pedigree in bridge building is the perfect springboard for us to deliver half of the UK's wind turbine towers."
Source BBC News
Jonathan on behalf of SEA has written to the company to offer his congratulations for the opening of the plant
SEA writes to Glyn Davies MP May 11th 2011
SEA has written to the Welsh Conservative MP, Glyn Davies to take issue with his recent anti wind comments reported on the BBC Wales News website. In this article, when referring to planned wind farms in mid Wales, he claimed wind farms " would totally destroy the place we love by industrialising the uplands with wind turbines and desecrating our valleys with hideous cables and pylons", adding that the "scale was almost impossible to comprehend".
He continued "Not even the enemies of Britain over the centuries have wrought such wanton destruction on this wondrous part of the United Kingdom" and " Our entire region, the beauty of the landscape of mid Wales, is going to be sacrificed at the alter of a false god." SEA also intends to make a complaint to David Cameron and the Welsh Assembly government concerning his comments.
SEA writes to political leaders after May 5th elections May11th 2011
On behalf of SEA, Jonathan has written to David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Peter Hain and Alex Salmond offering congratulations for the successful outcome to the local elections in England, Welsh Assembly and Scottish government on May 5th, he has also called for their assurance that they will do all in their power to support renewables technologies and wind power.
Vestas to build offshore wind turbine plant in Kent May 11th 2011
RenewableUK, the country's leading renewable energy trade association, welcomed the the plains by Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas to set up an offshore wind turbine manufacturing base in Sheerness Kent. Vestas has announced that it has taken an option on the lease of the 70 hectare site, which it will take forward within the next 12 to 24 months, if the government delivers "stability in the market and long term political and regulatory certainty."
Maria McCaffey, Chief Executive of Renewable UK said "we have an unprecedented situation where some of the best know companies in the world are literally queuing up to invest in the UK. The Government now needs to seal the deal on offshore: it needs to bag the first 8,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of pounds already pledged, by firmly supporting the technology."
Japanese government announces cancellation of all new nuclear reactor builds May 11th 2011
Tokyo - Prime Minister Naota Kan said on Tuesday that Japan would abandon plans to to build more nuclear reactors, saying his country need to "start from scratch" in creating a new energy policy. Mr Kan's announcement came as Japan allowed residents of evacuated areas around the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to briefly revisit their homes for the first time since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March and the nuclear accident at the plant.
The decision will mean the abandonment of a plan that the Kan government released last year to build 14 nuclear reactors by 2030 and increase the share of nuclear power in Japans electricity supply to 50%.
Source New York Times
Greenpeace made the following statement following the announcement :
"Greenpeace applauds Prime Minister Kan's ambitious proposal to scrap the construction of 14 new nuclear reactors," said Junichi Sato, Greenpeace Japan Executive Director. " This announcement could put Japan's energy policy on a new path of clean, renewable technologies, what we need now is the will and commitment to see it through."
He continued " To ensure that the health and safety of the Japanese people is put first, and strong action on climate change is taken, the Japanese government must now phase out all existing nuclear plants and pursue Prime Minister Kan's promise of a clean, renewable, and energy efficient future for Japan.
Source Greenpeace press release May 11th 2011
SEA celebrates its sixth anniversary ! May 6th 2011
Sustainable Energy Alliance ( SEA) marked the anniversary of its founding some six years ago, the group held its first meeting in Llandudno, Conwy in May 2005 and since then has never looked back ! A BIG thank you to all those that have helped us since then, without your valuable and continued support, we would not be where we are today !
 SEA writes to the main Welsh political parties April 28th 2011
Sustainable Energy Alliance (SEA) wrote to the leaders of the five main political parties and a number of local politicians, ahead of the Welsh Assembly elections to be held on May 5th 2011. Recipients included, Jake Griffiths ( Green Party), Nick Bourne ( Conservatives), Kirsty Williams ( Lib Dems) Carwyn Jones ( Labour) and Ieuan Wyn Jones ( Plaid Cymru)
The group have asked for the assurance that the leaders and the political parties would do all they can to support renewable technologies and especially that of wind power, locally and nationally across Wales. The group believe that far too many wind farm applications are being turned down and that the planning process itself is often too lengthy, furthermore, the group believes that unsubstantiated and misleading claims are often used by those opposing planning applications.
The group reminded the party leaders that the UK has a commitment to international legally- binding carbon emission and renewable energy targets and that these must be taken seriously. In addition, their support for the wind farm industry in Wales has the benefit of creating many long term green jobs.
Chernobyl nuclear disaster:Ukraine marks anniversary
April 26th 2011
Ukraine is marking the 25th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear accident at the Chernobyl power plant. An explosion at one of the plant's reactors sent a plume of radiation across Europe and killed at least 30 people in its immediate aftermath. A disputed number if others died later from radiation-related illnesses.
The anniversary comes amid renewed global protest over nuclear power and as Japan struggles to contain radiation leaks at its crippled Fukushima plant.
It was on April 26th 1986 that Number Four reactor at Chernobyl, which was then in the Soviet Union, exploded. The accident forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in Ukraine, western Russia and Belarus, there is still a 19 mile exclusion zone around the plant. In Wales 330 farms in the north still face restrictions of stock movement 25 years on.
Soviet engineers encased the damaged reactor in a temporary concrete casing to limit the radiation but a new shield is needed. Soviet officials held off reporting the accident for several days
The Chernobyl anniversary comes less than two months after the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan was badly damaged by an earthquake and tsunami, renewing concerns about the safety of nuclear power generation.
The operators of the Fukushima plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co ( TEPCO) have also come under fire for not quickly disclosing information on radiation leaks from the plant.
Source BBC News
A report by Greenpeace published in 2006 revealed that the full consequences of the Chernobyl disaster could top a quarter of a million cancer cases and nearly 100,000 fatal cancers.
The report involved 52 respected scientists and includes information never seen before in English. It challengers the UN International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) Chernobyl Forum Report, which predicted 4000 additional deaths attributable to the accident as a gross oversimplification of the real breadth of human suffering.
The new data, based on Belarus national cancer statistics predicts approximately 270,000 cancers and 93,000 fatal cancer cases caused by Chernobyl. The report also concludes on the basis of demographic nature, during the last 15 years ( up to 2006), 60,000 people have additionally died in Russia because of the Chernobyl accident and estimates of the total death toll in the Ukraine and Belarus could reach another 140,000.
Source Greenpeace International
New warning on ice melt April 8th 2011
Scientists who predicted a few years ago that Arctic summers could be ice-free by 2013 now say summer ice will probably be gone within this decade. The original prediction, made in 2007 gained Wieslaw Maslowski's team a deal of criticism from some of their peers.
Now they are working with a new computer model - complied partly in response to those criticisms - that produces a "best guess" of 2016. Their work was unveiled at the European Geosciences Union ( EGU) annual meeting.
The new model is designed to replicate real-world interactions, or "couplings", between the Arctic ocean, the atmosphere, the ice and rivers carrying freshwater into the sea.
Source BBC News
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