Renewable energy | The Guardian

Thousands of miles of new power lines are needed to deliver climate targets and energy security, but bills will rise in the short term and opponents are mobilising Britain is embarking on one of the largest overhauls of its electricity grid in generations – a megaproject in which five times more infrastructure will be built by 2030 than was constructed during the previous three decades. Tens of b…

Businesses, charities and other groups sign letter calling for levies to be paid by the government More than 120 organisations including big businesses and charities have called for the removal of “hidden taxes” added to energy bills to help reduce costs for consumers and prevent businesses closing. In a letter to the chancellor the signatories – including Energy UK, business trade body the CBI, …

National Audit Office calls for greater transparency on £70bn programme that is running over budget and behind schedule Speed up electricity grid upgrade or else face higher bills, warns UK watchdog It’s an open secret in the energy industry that “the great grid upgrade” – the £70bn programme to rewire the nation’s electricity transmission network to enable clean power by 2030 – is running over b…

National Audit Office says failure to implement £70bn modernisation would also hold back economic growth The ‘great grid upgrade’ is off track – ministers should spell out the risks for bills Consumers will pay higher energy bills unless the UK government speeds up work on a vast programme of upgrades to the electricity grid to enable the switch to renewables, the public spending watchdog has war…

The offshore windfarm at Berwick Bank is predicted to kill more than 4,000 birds in its first year alone – among them gannets, puffins and kittiwakes, writes Ashley Davies Lev Parikian paints a vivid picture of the gannets of the Bass Rock and the impact that avian flu has had on their numbers ( Country diary, 31 August ). There’s another threat, though, and it’s one that puts some supporters of …

New research shows who benefits most from the federal solar sharer plans Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Electric car owners could have a new way to save money under a federal government scheme that promises three hours of free electricity. Since the solar sharer plans became available in July, many Australians have been asking – is it possible to save money by switch…

Savings grow as energy prices in Great Britain rise and cost of panel installation falls, analysis finds Households in Great Britain’s cloudiest regions could still save more than £400 a year on their energy bills by installing rooftop solar panels, research has found. Rising wholesale energy prices mean the potential savings from a home solar panel system have climbed in recent years, as the cos…

Autumn pleasures | Solar gain | Meghan and Harry | Rowing knowledge | Eye test | Bad mood Regarding Emma Brockes’s Digested Week ( Is there anything sadder than the end of summer?, 28 August ), the end of summer is the beginning of autumn – the best season of the year. Trees changing colour making woodlands look so beautiful, with autumn crocuses underneath. Gentle weather for walking the dog. Ha…

A battle over datacentre power sources is only part of the picture. Australia needs a much bigger electricity system to meet all future demand Anthony Albanese has been clear that he wants a set of national standards to ensure datacentre growth accelerates Australia’s push to renewables and keeps a lid on power prices. At the centre of his desired policies was a “BYO power” requirement – a condit…

A financial model that could cut the cost of installing solar panels for many homeowners is welcomed by Alexis Abramson The UK proposal to use “solar bonds” to make rooftop solar more affordable is a smart solution to a fundamental problem: the rising cost of capital ( Cut cost of loans for solar panels on UK homes, ministers urged, 21 August ). A household that can pay for solar upfront saves mo…

Energy minister says states can apply to use coal and gas supply to power datacentres but must prove it is cheaper than renewables Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Chris Bowen insists federal Labor’s new national laws on datacentre power supply will not include carve-outs for Queensland and the Northern Territory, …

A zero-emission compact hydrogen power plant will drive the main stage at Clifton Down in Bristol When Lorde, Little Simz and Wet Leg stride on to stages in Bristol this weekend, they will not only be entertaining tens of thousands of festivalgoers but taking part in what is being billed as a world-first clean power project. The two stages at Forwards festival on Clifton Down are being driven alm…

Solar Sharer program was designed for homes without rooftop solar, but observers say supply and peak use charges are ‘much higher’ Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here A government energy deal that promised three free hours of power to houses without solar panels carries higher charges that make it an expensive option for many households, observe…

DIY system will be stocked by big retailers, starting with Argos, enabling more homes to lower bills by generating own electricity Plug-in solar panels will go on sale in the UK for the first time from Thursday, allowing households unable to use rooftop panels to also generate their own cheap electricity. Households across the country will be able to join the millions across mainland Europe who g…

Shift comes after Chris Bowen said Labor would use constitutional powers to override states resisting rules on sustainable energy Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese has backed down on demands that states must power new AI datacentres entirely using renewable energy, with Wednesday’s meeting of national cabinet flagging carveouts for jurisdictions includi…

Since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, a growing labor movement has addressed the climate crisis and economic inequality Ryan McElroen had spent years repairing the New York City subway underground when he got the opportunity to work in the middle of the ocean. “I had no views other than the darkness at work,” he said. “Then I went polar opposite.” Continue reading...

Surge in proposals follows Labour’s lifting of de facto ban, with about 45 plans submitted in the year to March Plans for new onshore windfarms in England have reached their highest annual level in a decade, after the government overturned the Conservatives’ de facto ban in 2015. About 45 applications for new onshore windfarms were submitted in the year to March,according to a Guardian analysis o…

North Sea oil, once the driving force of the UK economy, may be dwindling but it remains a symbol of prestige and a rich resource for political debate When oil was first discovered off the north-east coast of Scotland in September 1969, industry folklore has it that the duty superintendent on the rig carefully poured it into a pickle jar commandeered from the canteen and took it back to Amoco’s G…

Britons will be able to buy ‘balcony’ systems they can install themselves from 27 August thanks to rule change Despite this summer bringing hours of sunshine, many Britons have been unable to cash in on free electricity generated by the sun. Rooftop solar panels are usually out of the question if you live in a flat or rent your home, and the cost has made them prohibitive to many more households.…

Report says ‘solar bonds’ could fund wider access to clean energy, reducing household bills Solar panels could be cheaper for people on lower incomes if the government stepped in to reduce the cost of loans, a report argues. Solar panel installations can save households hundreds of pounds a year in energy bills, but at an initial cost of about £5,000 to £10,000 they are beyond the reach of many h…