All pages with keywords: energy
What is shale gas?
Shale gas is a form of unconventional natural gas (mostly methane), which is trapped underground in shale rock; a fine-grained, less permeable rock formation made up of mud, silt and … read more »
What are current gas prices in the UK, and how much do they contribute to energy bills?
The UK enjoyed a period of falling gas prices until 2004/05, when it first started to import more gas than it produced. While average prices were around 20 to 30 … read more »
What role does gas currently play in the UK’s energy mix?
Natural gas currently plays a significant role in the UK’s energy mix. In 2011, gas provided about 38 per cent of the UK energy needs – that’s including electricity, heating … read more »
The British Feed-in Tariff for small renewable energy systems: Can it be made fairer?
The British Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme, which launched in April 2010, pays £500 million each year to the owners of small scale renewable energy installations for the clean … read more »
The Climate Change Act
The Climate Change Act received Royal Assent on 26 November 2008 and set an overarching target to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent by … read more »
Climate change policy UK
The Grantham Research Institute for Climate Change and the Environment and the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (CCCEP) have published a policy paper, originally commissioned as a working paper … read more »
Handbook on Energy and Climate Change
Fouquet, R. 2013. Edward Elgar Publications. Cheltenham, UK, and Northampton, MA, USA.
Decarbonising electricity generation
The power sector is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK and must be largely decarbonised by 2030 if the Government is … read more »
A UK ‘dash’ for smart gas
Shifting from coal to natural gas for electricity generation can help the UK power sector to decarbonise in the near term. With good planning and investment, natural gas can support the development of a low-carbon power sector by providing essential backup for intermittent renewables, but could only play a bigger role longer-term if fitted with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.
However, a new UK ‘dash’ for gas on the assumption of low prices is a risky economic and environmental option. A lower risk option is a ‘dash’ for smart gas; using natural gas in those areas where it offers the greatest value in decarbonising the power sector. read more »
The economics of wind power: submission to the inquiry by the House of Commons Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change
Samuela Bassi and Sam Fankhauser
