News Elsewhere contains mainly articles we have permission to republish from Views of Scotland and Country Guardian. You can learn more about these organisations by visiting: http://www.countryguardian.net/ and http://www.viewsofscotland.org/. Occasionally we will also post news from elsewhere on the web.
The drive to build wind farms will no longer automatically trump protecting the landscape, and from today ministers will be able to step in on the side of residents. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2453592/Move-curb-wind-farms-Eric-Pickles-concerned-visual-environmental-impact.html
More than 2,000 solar farms could be built by 2020 under a government plan to subsidise an eight-fold increase in solar power. Many of the farms will be built on open countryside despite a pledge from ministers to focus on installing panels on factory rooftops, former industrial sites and abandoned Read more
Ministers are urged to initiate an immediate review of Britain’s entire green energy strategy or risk forcing household gas and electricity bills up every year for the rest of the decade Scottish and Southern Energy said annual gas and electricity prices would fall by £110 per household overnight if the Read more
Michael Settle UK Political Editor FEARS are growing other energy companies will increase their winter prices after SSE announced rises of between 7% and 9.7% for more than seven million households across Britain. The move, which will add £106 a year to some bills, was immediately criticised by consumer groups. Read more
Stuart Gillespie Plans for a new windfarm near Twynholm have taken a step forward. Hamilton-based Banks Renewables want to build seven turbines at Knockendurrick and are offering the local community the chance to buy a small chunk of the project. And last week they formally submitted their planning application to Read more
CZECH REPUBLIC: The Czech government plans to end subsidies for new renewable installations from next year, according to a draft law up for parliamentary approval. http://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1193500/czech-governement-plans-subsidies-scheme
Dear Sir, Farmers are scrambling to erect small turbines after promises of huge profits by enthusiastic salesmen. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has issued figures which show that small turbines (less than 100kw) all have average capacity factors under 10%. A 15kw turbine running at full capacity Read more
The European Union has been accused of killing off the prospect of cheap energy from shale gas by trying to impose with expensive and “reckless” regulation of fracking. The European Parliament on Wednesday voted for new EU laws requiring that exploration for potential deposits of shale gas to Read more