A progress report from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, says latest research shows that so far this financial year:
“Renewable energy is not just helping us increase our energy security and reduce our emissions. It is supporting jobs and growth across the country, and giving traditional industrial heartlands the opportunity to thrive again.
“Our renewable target is less demanding than other EU member states, but the effect is bringing real jobs and investment.
“I do not want the UK to be left behind by turning our back on the green economy. The agreement to negotiate a global deal secured at Durban has reinforced major nations’ commitment to cutting carbon. We cannot afford to stand alone while the world wises up.”
You can read the full text of the press release at the DECC website
- £2.5billion worth of investment in renewable energy projects in the UK
- the potential to create almost 12,000 jobs across the country
“Renewable energy is not just helping us increase our energy security and reduce our emissions. It is supporting jobs and growth across the country, and giving traditional industrial heartlands the opportunity to thrive again.
“Our renewable target is less demanding than other EU member states, but the effect is bringing real jobs and investment.
“I do not want the UK to be left behind by turning our back on the green economy. The agreement to negotiate a global deal secured at Durban has reinforced major nations’ commitment to cutting carbon. We cannot afford to stand alone while the world wises up.”
You can read the full text of the press release at the DECC website
5 comments:
Don't get too excited about the number of jobs. it's great that 100 full time jobs will be created at the biomass plant at Anglesey Aluminium and also possibly a further 600 jobs during construction of the plant. This is indeed good news, and the plant will have the potential to power 300,000 homes ( I presume all over the UK). But aside from that there was no specific breakdown of jobs created in the rest of Wales, and no other jobs created specifically for Anglesey. So the area around Anglesey Aluminium has still got a net loss of some 300 jobs. I think its always best to read beyond the good news spin!
It is also the case that Oil and Gas provide around 60% of UK energy adding £30billion per year to UK balance of trade and supporting 450,000 jobs UK wide. On 30th December Energy Minister Charles Hendry announced a further round of Offshore Licensing for Oil and Gas, including an area known as 'Block 109' around Anglesey. These licences were delayed by 14 months while the SPA's and SAC's had the 'Appropriate Assessments' so that the licences and conditions attached to them can comply with the legislation to protect the marine environment and Birds and Habitats Directives.
There have been 3 very well attended community meetings in the last month all clearly demonstrating strong opposition and indeed the anger that the public has about the prospect of industrial size onshore wind turbines on this island.
Another meeting was held last night in Pentraeth, about 200 people came. From the show of hands there were about 150 from that community and 50 from other parts of the island. It was well chaired by Cllr Hefin Wyn Thomas who when asked said he would not be installing turbines on his own land.
A vote taken at the end was unanimous against the proposals for industrial size turbines anywhere on the island. People simply do not want this form of unreliable and damaging renewable energy on this island.
Several speakers demanded an island wide meeting be called by the Council and that it should be held at the Council offices in Llangefni with Councillors and all Officers with responsibility for any aspect of the Local Development Plan (Planning, Economic, Rates, Transport etc). This obviously needs to happen urgently and certainly before the Supplementary Planning Guidance for Onshore Wind energy goes any further. Of course the Commissioners should also attend. In the meantime a complete moratorium on all turbine applications was called for.
So that would be 4 meetings 200 at each total 800, compared with electorate of Ynys Mon of 50,872 voters, less than 2% or say meeting every month of 200 still less than 5% of those elegiable to vote.
And you call that a strong opposition?
At the meeting in Moelfre tonight an island wide referendum was called for.
The public have already asked for the Council to host a well advertised island-wide meeting at the Council Offices. The Council's own newsletter Mon News has been silent on this so far, why did it not write about the Supplementary Planning Guidance consultation in the edition that went to every household in December, when the consultation started? At every community meeting I have attended local people say they have only just heard about this, and often they hear by word of mouth.
Even so people I speak to say they have not seen such an active and numerous public outcry on any issue in recent times. I don't know if that is the case but what I do see is public opposition growing, becoming more vocal and more informed, as well as more determined to be effective.
Forthcoming community meetings are advertised on www.angleseyagainstwindturbines.co.uk.
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