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When I am making notes at conferences, in an attempt to remember what might make good copy later, I put asterisks next to speaker points. At today's REA Energy Annual Conference today, Rab Bennetts got three stars as did Bill Dunster (although he speaks so fluently of technical matters, that I am not quite sure what they referred to just now.) Even the Shadow Energy Secretary, crinkly-haired Greg Barker, did quite well with two - mostly for speaking longest about investment in carbon capture and storage which is a proven technology, just not on, ahem, a large scale. Tim Evans, of Renewable Zukunft (it means future) did very well, of which more later.
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But our own, dear, drab, Bob Ledsome, who is deputy director climate change and sustainable development team at the DCLG, got no stars at all.
Perhaps this is because I'm better versed than the average arts graduate on the EPBD already, but I suspect not. Ledsome's presentation consisted almost entirely of discussing the results of past consultations and submissions to consultations, and just when I thought he was about to announce something, or to announce the announcement of something, a cold smog descended on me and I realised he was announcing another yet another consultation. My neighbour said that he thought he should be 'taken out and shot.' But I think this is harsh and he should be simply consulted to death.
Did he hint at anything? I asked whether everyone had simply given up on the existing stock. A by-lined article I commissioned from the Government's own Carbon Trust had been so threadbare that I couldn't publish it. Had anyone had any ideas? I wanted to know. Had anyone heard of any recently? Prof David Strong said that Ruth Kelly had announced an urgent consultation into the topic in 2002 and then silence had descended.
But Bob leapt into action! He said something to help the existing stock was going to be announced soon. Was he about to earn a star? I began scribbling furiously to better able me to divine policy direction from his utterings. I wrote:
Process - shortly announcement from ministers - regulatory instruments - fiscal incentives - information flows - EPCS - access to XYZ - what are we doing beyond insulation and cavity wall? - CO2 emissions target - industry - make a difference ...
The oracle fell silent. We await - we continue to await - the announcement from ministers. No one had any better new ideas apart from Bill Dunster who fingered the energy mortgages and Bennetts who pointed to VAT reduction on refits.
But I was cheered up by Tim Evans from Renewable Zunkuft who gave an elegant (yes) PowerPoint full of drama, well put together, efficient, colourful and aesthetic with quality information and interesting analytical detail. Energy is an interesting topic, after all, with interesting implications.
Some highlights from Tim's speech -
- Sir Terry Wogan, Jeremy Clarkson and the Archers form an Evil Trinity of climate change denial that puts renewable energy obfuscation at the very top of the British entertainment tree. The most popular people in the country convince us to do anything at all is impossible or 'not very nice.'
- Yet in Austria, two provinces, Gussing and Moreck are (by necessity) 100% off-grid with energy efficent homes, biogas plants and all energy grown in the area.
- This has huge implications for the local economy. Each gets an income of £26m a year and have the best schools and galleries rather than the worst. Before, they (as do we) sent all their money to Russia, the Middle-East and America.
- The consequences of our doing that means that Cambridgeshire alone (Evan's home county) send £1 billion in energy abroad.
- A billion quid would buy the squads of Man U and Chelsea, who have been bought by Russian oligarchs making money from energy.
- Cambridgeshire (contrary to what the Archers says) could grow all energy crops on its agri land and have 2/3 left over. It would then have a billion to play with.
- The UK throws away 20m tonnes of food (energy) a year. 1m tonnes of potatoes are 'unaccounted for,' grown but not sold. Why don't we just put food straight into landfill rather than transporting it from Israel, shrink-wrapping it, taking it to supermarkets, chilling it, taking it home, putting it in the fridge and throwing it away a week later?
- UK citizens are all in fuel poverty (spending 10% of income on energy) Out of a weekly budget of 455 quid, we spend £7 on heat, £12 on electricity and 61 on transport. That's over 17%. [Evans has included transport]
- The Treasury is doing a stirling (or should that be sterling?) job. All we need is oil at $250 a barrel and almost anything will be possible.
All in all, there was more frustration than inspiration at the conference as the UK is perceived as doing almost nothing in terms of policy or - to be more accurate - about a tenth of what they need to be doing for energy efficiency and renewable energy generaration.
Daily Mail grumbling? Tom Howes of the European Commission reminded us we were third from the bottom of the Euro league in renewable energy generation, with 1.3%. Who's below us? Luxembourg. And Malta. No stars for the famous 'UK Plc.' either, then.
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