Tag Archives: climate
UK estate agents say controversial fracking plans already affecting home sales
Estate agents operating close to potential fracking sites in the UK are warning that the controversial technique is likely to wipe tens of thousands of pounds off the values of nearby properties. It could also make homes harder to sell with agents in areas already targeted by fracking companies reporting concerns from prospective buyers over looming shale developments, with some sales already falling through as a result. The findings from a survey of estate agents conducted by leading marketing research agency Redshift and for environmental campaigners Greenpeace UK in three key areas where energy firms are planning to carry out fracking in West Sussex, Manchester, and Lancashire, shows that 67% believe fracking could bring down prices. A majority of them estimate the loss in value could be up to 11% with two agents putting it as high as 41% to 70%. With the price of the average house in the UK estimated at £272,000, even just a 10% drop in value could translate into a loss of tens of thousands of pounds. Some 54% said they are concerned fracking could reduce property sales near potential sites. Most of those who say they’re concerned believe more than one in 10 purchases could be affected, with nine dealers putting the estimate as high as 25 to 50% of all sales. One in four respondents also say home buyers have expressed concerns about the prospect of fracking in the area, with four estate agents reporting some customers have pulled out as a result. The Department for Energy and Climate Change is expected to auction off licence blocks to fracking firms over an area covering more than half of Britain in the coming months. The government has previously stated there’s no evidence that fracking will affect house prices. But three quarters of the estate agents said fracking should not be permitted until more research is done. James Nisbet, who lives a few hundred metres from one of the Lancashire sites says a few potential buyers have pulled out of purchasing his £375,000 house after learning about the looming energy development. ‘We have had six viewings so far, all with very positive feedback, but no one wants to commit to buying with the fracking shadow hanging over us. I’ve been hearing the same story from quite a few people in the area. We have lived here for 15 years. I really like this place and I don’t want to move, but I also don’t particularly wish to stick around to see what fracking will do to this community,’ he said. Paula Higgins, chief executive of the Home Owners Alliance, said it is worrying that homeowners who happen to live in fracking zones are being kept in the dark on how fracking will affect them. ‘Some are already starting to bear the brunt through aborted… Continue reading
UK Statistics Show Bioenergy Production Increased In Q2
By Erin Voegele | November 07, 2013 The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change has released updated energy trend statistics, showing that the share of renewable electricity generated in the U.K. increased from 9.7 percent during the second quarter of 2012 to 15.5 percent in the second quarter of 2013. While the share of renewables increased in the second quarter of this year, total electricity generated fell by 2.7 percent when compared to the same period of 2012. The quarterly data shows that 1.55 million metric tons of oil equivalent fuel was used by the bioenergy sector to produce electricity during the second quarter of 2013, up from 1.38 million metric tons of oil equivalent in the previous quarter. In the second quarter of 2012 and 2011, a respective 1.14 million metric tons of oil equivalent and 1.07 million metric tons of oil equivalent was used by the bioenergy sector to produce electricity. During the quarter, the bioenergy producers generated 5.2 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, up from 4.3 TWh in the first quarter of the year. Bioenergy producers generated a respective 3.29 TWh and 3.02 TWh of electricity during the second quarters of 2012 and 2011. U.K generating companies produced 82.98 TWh of electricity during the second quarter. In addition to the 5.2 TWh from bioenergy sources, U.K. power producers generated 29.05 TWh from coal, 0.65 TWh from oil, 23.63 from gas, 15.47 TWh from nuclear, 0.97 TWh from natural flow hydro, 6.65 TWh from wind and solar (of which 2.47 TWh was offshore), 0.69 TWh from pumped storage and 0.66 TWh from other fuels. Continue reading
Panel Discusses Wood Biomass Sustainability, Coming Regulations
By Tim Portz | October 30, 2013 Nigel Burdett, head of environment at Drax Power, addresses the audience at the U.S. Industrial Pellet Association’s 3rd Annual Exporting Pellets conference. Tim Portz. . . Nigel Burdett, head of environment at Drax Power, kicked off a panel discussion at the U.S. Industrial Pellet Association’s 3rd annual Exporting Pellets Conference, by commenting on the role of sustainability in the transition from coal to wood pellets. “We need to be sustainable in order to capture the subsidy and make the business work,” he said. The panel focused on the sustainable attributes of renewable power produced via wood pellet combustion. The subsidies Burdett spoke of are Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) issued by the U.K. Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. These ROCs are financial instruments that power generators can sell on the open market, boosting the economics of generating renewable energy. In September, the U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change confirmed that biomass would play a significant role in the march toward the de-carbonization of the U.K. energy sector, but that biomass burned by its power generators must come from sustainable sources if those generators expect to receive ROCs. While final rulemaking has yet to be established by the DECC, power generators in the U.K., pellet suppliers in the North America and elsewhere, and the loggers and landowners that supply biomass to pellet facilities are all preparing for the coming legislation. They are also offering their perspective to policymakers on what they feel are realistic, yet adequately stringent, requirements. At the same time, a larger, more expansive effort is underway to frame up for the general public the vital role that biomass-derived power can, and should, play in driving geologic carbon out of the world’s energy mix. Geologic carbon, the carbon found in fossil fuels and sequestered there for millions of years, is released into the atmosphere when it is combusted for energy. Bob Malmsheimer, professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, urged attendees to recognize the inherent differences between geologic carbon and biogenic carbon saying, “When we make products and energy from biogenic carbon instead of geologic carbon, we’ve done something positive for climate change.” Recognizing that the public is continually presented with different studies and models, he continued by stating, “While the timing aspect is debated, the long term benefit is not debatable.” Echoing Malmsheimer’s comments, and diving deeper into an explanation of the science as well as many of the reasons for widespread confusion about the issue, was Martin Junginger, assistant professor at the Copernicus Institute for Sustainability Development at the University of Utrecht. Junginger pointed out that many of the studies that industry critics use to question the sustainability of woody biomass are flawed because they investigate the carbon cycle at a stand level, as opposed to looking at the carbon cycle in the context of a broader forest ecosystem. “Scientists have realized that looking at the landscape of level is the most appropriate,” said Junginger. He explained that if 1 acre of land is converted into biomass feedstocks and burned, there is carbon released into the atmosphere certainly, but that the overall forest system was taking up more carbon as a whole than was being released during the combustion of a percentage of that biomass during energy generation. The panel concluded the discussion by driving home the point that the worst-case scenario for global forests were declining markets for forest products, including woody biomass for pellet production. Repeating an argument that is continually being made by the largest forest owner associations in North America, including the National Alliance of Forest Owners and the Forest Landowners Association, the panel argued that strong markets for all grades and types of forests was the best way to stave off the largest threat to forests, emerging higher economic values for forested acres, including redevelopment. Recognizing that proving the sustainable nature of their supply chains will be a vital aspect of Drax’s business, Burdett underscored the importance of preparing for the coming feedstock tracking requirements saying, “We are going to see a great deal of data being required of suppliers,” and stressing that non-compliance ultimately would cost Drax the most. “We have canceled contracts because adequate data was not available,” he added. Continue reading
