Britain as an island off the mainland of Europe potentially has greater capacity for production of renewable energy than almost the whole of the rest of Europe put together, mainly from onshore and offshore wind, wave and tidal power, and Scottish hydropower. Yet UK electricity production from renewable energy, though it has increased in the last decade, is still very low and indeed still one of the lowest in the EU. Continue reading
Tagged with Electricity
Energy system needs fundamental reform, not just Ofgem tinkering
Ofgem got out of their pram yesterday to complain about Labour and Which? criticisms of their ‘fundamental reforms‘ to the energy market. They said:
For the Labour Party and Which? to dismiss Ofgem’s fundamental reforms is to misunderstand the barriers to competition that we have identified and are tackling. In fact Ofgem’s reforms go further than Labour’s proposals for increasing liquidity, which they refer to as a pool. Labour’s proposals only relate to the short-term market, where the big six are already auctioning large volumes of power after pressure. Continue reading
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The case for public ownership
The public’s demand for re-nationalisation is steadily growing, partly because the record of privatised companies has been so poor, partly because the excuse of globalisation is now seen not to betoken greater efficiency but rather funnelling increasing assets to the very rich and undermining job security for workers, and partly the big new outsourcing companies have so blatantly abandoned the national interest in pursuit of gross profiteering. Continue reading
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Tell Sid… we want our energy back
Government Ministers have tried to justify the undervalued sale of the Royal Mail as a return to popular capitalism.It has been nearly thirty years since the Government’s “Tell Sid” campaign helped launch the privatisation of British Gas. We will never know if Sid bought any shares but one thing is for sure, if he is a UK resident he will certainly be paying the price as we continue to experience inflation busting year on year rises in the cost of gas and electricity.
While allowing people to make a quick profit may well prove popular, any short term gains can quickly evaporate, as prices rise, investment falls and shareholders seek to maximise their profits.
I am appalled at the annual energy price rises, three of the Big Six have already announced price hikes of around 10%, with the other three expected to follow shortly. However, we cannot sell off vital public assets and then complain when private companies act like private companies. The popular capitalism of the 80s has turned into a nightmare for the vast majority of ordinary families. Continue reading
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Why the Blairites are wrong about Ed’s energy freeze
The great thing about Peter Mandelson is that he constantly gives one confidence in one’s own views when one finds he’s on the other side. This is scarcely surprising when his philosophy (‘New Labour is studiously relaxed about people becoming filthy rich’) and his methods (briefing dirt and lies to the press about anyone he disapproved of in the party) are now so passé.
He’s still in denial about the financial crash of 2008-9, which destroyed New Labour’s market fundamentalism. And still, in the face of all the evidence, he staunchly defends its fundamental tenets – unfettered markets, deregulated finance, unrestrained corporate power, and as far as possible trade unions bound hand and foot. Continue reading
