KENT AND MEDWAY HAVE SAFE ENERGY ADVANTAGES

An investigation by Kent Green Party suggests that Kent and Medway have significant advantages in the continuing expansion of safe, renewable energy technologies. Steve Dawe explains:

“Kent Green Party has been investigating a number of recent reports on energy efficiency and safe, renewable energy technologies (1). Our conclusion from this research is that Kent and Medway have significant, comparative advantage over many other locations in the UK for the development of carbon free energy systems. This will, inevitably, lead to more employment.

“The advantages are: one, significant existing wind farms offshore and onshore with potential for growth in future including the London Array windfarm; two, likelihood of expansion of wind farm servicing at Ramsgate and wind turbine construction at Sheerness; three, existing under-employed construction workers throughout Kent and Medway who could be involved in energy efficiency improvements and installing solar panels and solar water heating on homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, given proper funding; four, low rainfall and high levels of sunlight throughout the year, giving good results from solar technologies; five, probability of a variety of small scale river barrages on the Thames Estuary, following the trial scheme under development at Westminster.

“However, we do note that the Government has just deliberately attacked our expanding solar industry(2). Currently people can claim 43 pence for every kilowatt of electricity they generate off their roof but the government is to cut this to around 21p from the 12th December (3).”

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FURTHER INFORMATION: Steve Dawe, Press Officer Kent Green Party, on 01732 355185 or 07747 036192. Contact address as above. Promoted by H.Dawe and published by Kent Green Party, both at 27 Audley Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1XF. KENT GREEN NEWS, free monthly ezine, is available for subscription at www.kentgreenparty.org Other research thanks to Councillor Andrew Cooper, Kirklees

Notes:

1. The key reports examined have included: WWF – Positive Energy: how renewable electricity can transform the Uk by 2030: http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/positive_energy_final_designed.pdf AND Campaign Against Climate Change – One Million Climate Jobs: http://www.climate-change-jobs.org/node/14 AND the Zero Carbon Britain 2030 report: http://www.zcb2030.org/

2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15507750

3. Councillor Andrew Cooper, Kirklees: “Over 25,000 people are employed in the solar industry and these cuts are a threat to them. The cost of the current ‘Feed In Tariff’ is very small at less than 50p/year on the average fuel bill and a fraction of the cost of government subsidies of nuclear power stations. As always it is those on the lowest incomes who will suffer the most.This cut will jeopardise free solar schemes for people unable to afford the upfront costs of solar panels and planned schemes for council tenants properties which are self funding under current Feed In Tariff arrangements but may not be following the proposed cut. The government’s claim to be the Greenest Government ever is looking increasingly hollow and lacking in substance.”