Birmingham Post - Business Blog

Biomass fuels the energy debate

Tue, 22 May 2012 18:10:37 +0000

So, finally the Department of Energy and Climate Change has published the long-awaited draft energy Bill. I would be exaggerating if I said that this particular piece of draft legislation was a cracking read (although it has its moments - including a whopping 393 explanatory notes at the end). But it does grab the attention with a striking foreword.

Right, let's get fracking

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:19:58 +0000

I write this blog shortly after a leisurely stroll through downtown New Orleans, on my way back from a meeting with a US oil and gas lawyer (and there are plenty round here, believe me, and many of them are still enjoying the BP litigation bonanza).

Don't Panic - well not just yet

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:21:19 +0000

The Government's handling of the phantom tanker driver strike induced widespread public panic and generated a huge outcry, but an equally strong condemnation of further Government dithering, failed to attract the same publicity.

No Green Bank for Brum

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:43:31 +0000

So it's official then. In an announcement from Vince Cable late last week, we heard that Birmingham has not emerged winner of the competition to host the Government's flagship Green Investment Bank (GIB), having been placed equal last out 5 finalists - jointly with Milton Keynes. And behind Peterborough. No offence, but honestly...!

Spoilt for Choice?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:15:37 +0000

I've recently found myself on first name terms with a couple of friendly folk at the call centre of my home energy supplier. And not because I'm tragically unable to turn off from the day job when I get home, or because I'm scraping the barrel to get the best out of my "friends and family" telecoms deal with BT.

Solar, So Good

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:19:58 +0000

Last week was an exciting week for energy lawyers. It saw the Court of Appeal reject DECC's appeal against an earlier High Court ruling, which decided that quick and drastic cuts to solar feed-in tariffs (FiTs) proposed in a now infamous consultation late last year were illegal.

No White Christmas, but a Green Deal for all in 2012?

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:57:16 +0000

Well that's the Christmas and New Year hysteria over for another 12 months.

I can imagine Scrooge revelling in the job of carbon accounting for the aftermath. Countless bin bags of present wrapping and decorations heading for landfill, not to mention forests of fake Christmas trees (apparently 10 times the carbon footprint of a dead tree); endless plates of leftover sprouts and Christmas pudding....

COP that award Birmingham

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:15:10 +0000

So, after all the pre-event hype (or in truth downplaying), COP17 in Durban finally closed its doors last week after 11 days hard negotiating on climate change and the actions the world must take to avert disaster.

Fretting over fret boards

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:54:29 +0000

I've not blogged on guitars yet in the context of climate change, but I'm going to have a go now.

Sunny Durban is the destination this week for the latest meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), when all things climate change related will be discussed. Expectations have been carefully set at rock bottom.

Airline Carbon Off Duty-Free List

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:06:06 +0000

The press has been busy over the last week or so poring over the travel habits of our former defence secretary and his unofficial 'adviser'. Certainly, the two of them seem to have been busy racking up the air miles together.

Achtung Nuclear

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:29:14 +0000

As German Chancellor Angela Merkel currently works out how to steer the euro out of its current troubles, there are profound consequences for the UK in another policy area where Germany has a pivotal role, namely the energy markets. In March of this year, Merkel announced her monumental political U-turn over the future of the country's nuclear power programme.

Energy sector up for shale?

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:08:58 +0000

We've seen a lot of media attention in recent times on shale gas, but it's actually nothing new.

Produced for more than 100 years in America, a variety of factors have pushed it into the spotlight recently and there are many who expect it to solve our energy problems for the foreseeable future.

But what is shale gas?

Electricity demand - turning over a new LEAF

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:16:23 +0000

This week sees me fresh back from a break in Devon, where I had time to ponder on all things green. In fact, I had plenty of time to ponder before we even got there - on the M5 in fact, amongst thousands of other motorists that Friday afternoon all heading in the same south-westerly direction.

And you thought the electricity market was already complicated

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:03:52 +0000

So there we have it - the biggest reform of our power market for 30 years. Last week (12 July) saw the publication of the much awaited Electricity Market Reform White Paper from DECC - following an intensive consultation begun before Christmas.

Electric Vehicles - Oui

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:56:57 +0000

I'm still shaking from something of a life-changing event. Today is Father's Day, so I feel putting pen to paper may be therapeutic. For the last 30 years my father has been the devoted owner of a Citroen. Not the same one, obviously, but a succession of Citroens which have given him unrivalled driving pleasure.