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Poll Finds 51% Of UK Public Want More Investment In Renewables
02 July 2013 A poll by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on UK energy policy has found that 51% of people think the government should support the construction of more renewable energy sources like solar, wave and tidal power. The people polled were asked about what types of technology they would favour to secure future energy supplies. Renewable energy sources like solar, wave and tidal power were the most popular, with 51% of people saying the Government should provide more support for these projects. 43% said there should be more support for offshore wind farms, 31% for onshore wind farms; while as few as 8% supported more gas-fired power stations. The poll of over 2,000 members of the public also found that 33% of people would consider personally investing in small-scale community renewable projects like wind farms, solar farms or small-scale biomass plants. Of the people surveyed, 25% said they would consider investing in Energy Bonds where money would be used to build large energy infrastructure projects like nuclear power stations or large offshore wind farms. The poll also revealed significant concern over the UK’s direction – 64% of the public is concerned about possible blackouts, and that 93% are worried about higher electricity and gas bills. “These results show there is a severe lack of public confidence in the Government’s confused energy policy,” said Dr Tim Fox, Head of Energy and Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. “There are clear concerns that there is an insufficient amount of investment in new energy infrastructure and that the UK faces a future of high energy prices for consumers and possible blackouts. Confidence in Government energy policy has been damaged by its mixed messages on low-carbon energy policy and uncertainty over its support for a new nuclear build programme,” added Fox. “Government must stop playing politics with our energy system and the environment and make clear exactly how it is going to ensure that the country’s future needs are affordably met,” said Fox. “It is only with this clarity that energy companies will have the confidence to invest in the infrastructure needed to keep the nation warm, lit, moving and working.” This poll follows the publication of another Institution poll on 28 May which found that 43% of the public would support a Government subsidy for the construction of new nuclear power in the UK – which compares with just 28% who said they would not. The poll of 2,034 people was carried out by ICM, on behalf of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers , on 3-6 May. Continue reading
Small-Scale Biomass Delivers Big Benefits
Taylor Scott International Continue reading
Plantation Land Sales Interest Resumes
Posted Sun Jun 30, 2013 PHOTO: John Hewitt says interest in timber plantation land sales is returning (Jack Hewitt) AUDIO: John Hewitt at Harcourts Rural is seeing a revival of interest in plantation land (ABC Rural) MAP: Launceston 7250 The failure of three managed investment schemes with hardwood plantations in Tasmania gutted the market for timbered land in the state. But confidence is starting to return to the sector, as woodchip exports resume. That’s the view of John Hewitt, a director of the rural real estate firm, Harcourts Rural. He says another positive factor is the Macquarie Group’s continued interest in securing plantation assets from Forest Enterprises and Gunns MIS schemes. Macquarie has been looking to take over the plantation assets of Gunns and resolve issues around ownership and liability for the schemes. And John Hewitt says Macquarie is offering landholders with Gunns plantation leases between $20 and $50 per hectare to terminate the forestry rights. “The land owners will get their land back unencumbered and they’ll own the trees,” he said. “It’s up to the land owners to assess what’s in their best interests. “It’s a tangled web as we all understand it “But because there’s a bit more confidence in the industry with some sales going ahead, when we get some clarity about which way the land will be sold, whether it goes to Macquarie or the MIS is carried on and some land owners opt out of it, or some opt in, or they’re all in or all out, it will be clearer. “But either way, there will be some land that becomes unencumbered and land owners will own their trees. “There will be interest in that land. “We’d be interested in putting together a list of those properties so we could market them to the people who are coming to us.” Continue reading
