With many conferences, the more you pay, the more, higher paid industry executives you get from “Big Energy” spouting what is essentially self-serving propaganda. These Claverton / GMP conferences will have by contrast incisive discussions of the real energy issues facing us, taking apart the dramatic failure of years of UK Energy Policy which has been largely constructed to meet the lobbying and interests of “Big Energy” whose business model is to sell  more, not less energy. You will also get technical experts to give you insider views of various cutting edge energy technologies.

Organized by GMP Publishing who publish a range of international energy related magazines

20th – 21st March 2013 at Event City, Manchester
30th May – Prince Phillip Centre, London
25th – 26th September – University of West England, Bristol

Don’t miss the chance to speak!  – join the industry leaders and sector experts who have signed up for the event from local authorities, engineering companies, technical advisors, government, planning consultancies, project developers, investors and many others.

And with more speakers across the day and with specific exhibitors booked in, this event will be highly targeted to the CHP / Renewables & Independent markets.

Don’t miss this opportunity to bring back the benefits of latest information and invaluable networking to your organisation. Register below.

Download speaker / subject list

Download speakers biographies

Conference flyer

Note: Could all participants put their professional details on the professional register on this site. Also, to join the Claverton Yahoo Energy Discussion group – send an email to herb@hetranslation.co.uk, moderator.

If you would like to join in on line discussions please provide your email – we will not use this for any other purpose, other than to invite you to an online forum.

–
Martin Otto

www.lockinenergy.co.uk

Available to download here:

Energy Compliance
“An Overhead or an Opportunity?”
21st March 2013
City Exhibition Centre, Manchester

House of Commons
Westminster
27 March 2013
Amyas Morse
Comptroller and Auditor General
Energy, Climate Change, and Sustainability
National Audit Office
London SW1W 9SP

 
Dear Amyas

Set in the context of the proposed UK Energy Bill, ongoing Decc and Treasury negotiations with the French nuclear corporation EdF are key.

Through these negotiations, Decc are aiming to guarantee a set price for nuclear energy – a ‘strike price’. The scale of the proposed ‘Contract for Difference’ (CfD) is potentially very large, and it is understood that the length of the proposed contract may last for a very long time.

It is important to note that, because of ‘commercial confidentiality’, there will be very limited public or Parliamentary access to information about key details of these non-reviewable contracts.

For such key negotiations, with such important outcomes (potentially locking in UK taxpayers and energy consumers to a 35-40 year contract), there are concerns that these talks may lack the necessary democratic accountability, fiscal and regulatory checks and balances.

It is also argued that one of the main impacts of this contract may be to shift the economic risk of building new nuclear facilities from the nuclear corporations to the taxpayer and consumer. And these risks may prove very large.

Further, it is possible that these negotiations will be subject to EC Competition Directorate inquiry as to whether the outcome of these negotiations may prove to be in contravention to EU state aid legislation.

Therefore, in the context of openness, transparency, fiscal and regulatory accountability, and ‘best value’ for the UK taxpayer and energy consumer – it seems reasonable to suggest that these negotiations should be subject to an in-depth and timely review.

We understand that the NAO cannot investigate issues that Parliament has passed judgement on. However these negotiations are currently ongoing, and Decc plans to present their outcomes to Parliament before the relevant legislation has been passed. In this sense, the issue seems clearly to fall within the remit of the NAO.

We therefore join together in requesting the National Audit Office to – at the soonest possible opportunity – engage in a detailed review of the form, function and potential outcomes of the negotiations between Treasury/Decc and EdF.

Please regard this letter as an initial preparatory approach. We, and our Parliamentary and expert advisors would welcome a meeting with you in order to discuss this matter in much greater detail.

Yours Sincerely

Alan Whitehead MP, Member of the Commons Select Committees on Energy and Climate Change and Environmental Audit, Chair of PRASEG (Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group) and Co-Chair of APSRG (Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group).

Simon Hughes MP, Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, former Shadow Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Caroline Lucas, Green MP, Member of the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee, Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fuel Poverty, Vice Chair of the Public and Commercial Services, Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Peak Oil and Gas, former Leader of the Green Party.

Zac Goldsmith MP, author of The Constant Economy, served as Deputy Chairman to the Conservative Quality of Life Policy Group.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9949595/Too-much-green-energy-is-bad-for-Britain.html

Mendacious and dangerous .. in fact, last week if they cared to look wind power was not for the first time helping to save gas with 5+ GW at transmission level and at least half again at distribution. It was very noticeable that gas stations were taking the brunt of the flexing (thus saving gas when there was a shortage) but of course the gas generators would be taking a hit .. there is a concerted effort from the right of politics to push back — we should recognise it for what it is .. I’d like to know who is financing the campaign does anyone have an insight?

David

Smart Grids and Infrastructurev04print