In my professional life until very recently I have been heavily involved in business development for major civil engineering companies. Looking at this list of proposed new projects in the Government’s New Infrastructure Project one thing strikes me very forcefully is that most of these projects are not at all new. In fact there are […]
Read MoreWho's to blame for high commodity – energy, food, metals, prices – it's the producers, stupid, not the banks and speculators
Happy New Year everyone. This article of mine re markets might be of interest (also below). http://seekingalpha.com/article/245574-who-s-to-blame-for-high-commodity-prices-it-s-the-producers-stupid v=1294568746&source=tracking_notify In my view commodity markets have two price boundary ‘trend-lines’: a ‘sellers’ market’ upper boundary, where consumer demand destruction sets in, and a ‘buyers’ market’ lower boundary, where ‘production destruction’ sets in. The current situation, where finance […]
Read MoreUK Energy bills set to rise £ 3 / year to pay for £2bn investment in distribution / trasnmission
4th Oct 2010 – BBC web site Energy bills set to rise to pay for £32bn investment The rise in renewable energy such as windfarms mean a radical rewiring of the National Grid is needed Gas and electricity bills will both have to rise by £3 a year, as £32bn is needed to improve the […]
Read MoreMoney, banking, credit, Adam Smith, finance, central banking etc, Michael Durkin channel4 film
Tony Let’s have a critical look at the underlying ideas, shall we? On 15 November 2010 08:43, Tony Locke <tlocke@> wrote: A brilliant review, but as Lucy Mangan admits, she doesn’t really criticize the underlying ideas. My response to the criticisms she does make are: > I may not agree that public services are a […]
Read MoreCall for papers on 'Embedded Carbon in New Design' for the Proceedings of ICE – Energy journal
The journal Proceeding of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Energy encourages paper submissions on the topic of Embedded Carbon in New Design. The call for papers is here:
Read MoreWind Energy Reduces Electricity Prices,Says Independent Study"….NOT
Extract from Claverton Energy Group Archives, by Paul Frederik Bach, ex director Danish Western National Grid. On 12 May 2010 21:13, Paul-Frederik Bach <pfbach@profibermail.dk> wrote: Dear all, The debate on the economy of wind power seems to be never ending. Observations of wind power output and spot prices indicate that wind power creates low prices […]
Read MoreOFGEM report on problematic future energy supplies – admission of market failure in electricty supplies
The report is at: http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/WhlMkts/Discovery/Documents1/Project_Discove ry_FebConDoc_FINAL.pdf News articles at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8494899.stm http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/household- bills/7144386/British-households-risk-unaffordable-energy-bills-Ofgem- warns.html http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/sse-says-customers-using-less-gas-electricity-reuters_molt-20a544628846.html A little interpretation: Quote: “There is a need for unprecedented levels of investment to be sustained over many years in difficult financial conditions and against a background of increased risk and uncertainty.” To translate, “the fat cats and their shareholders have […]
Read MoreProf Dave Elliot and Renew – Claverton Energy Group's "House Magazine"
Renew, the long-running 34 page bimonthly newsletter on renewable energy developments and policy, is now being offered to subscribers in PDF form. It’s an invaluable and unique source of news and analysis produced by Prof Dave Elliott of the Open University. Now in its 30th year, it covers news and issues from the UK, EU […]
Read MoreRelative / comparative costs of wind energy, nuclear energy, hydro power, coal power, natural gas, geothermal energy, and biomass
In general it can be seen that there is not a lot to choose between the cost of wind energy, and coal, gas or nuclear. PV and CSP are considerablymore expensive however.
Read MoreA reader writes – the history of energy resources and the economy
Dear Hugh Thanks for this. My own view is that relatively low oil prices, which set the bench mark for all other primary energy sources, was the reason why the world economy was able to expand so fast. Energy prices work their way through to all other prices including salaries. and these then work back […]
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