The renewable energy sector in Spain employs 68,737 workers, according to a 2010 study on employment associated with the promotion of renewable energies in Spain, prepared by the Institute for Employment, Environment and Health (ISTAS) and commissioned by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDEA) which was released on 13th January. The study was [...]

Experts in the UK have warned that the new Coalition government’s green energy plans will result in a dramatic increase in energy bills by around £500. Energy and Liberal Democrat Minister Chris Huhne recently unveiled proposals to encourage firms to develop low-carbon plans to help achieve the UK’s carbon emission targets. However, following on from [...]

According to the Center for European Economic Research (ZEW), popular acceptance of Germany’s renewable energy drive is likely to weaken when households see the cost of subsidies in their power bills quadruple. Costs will rise significantly in the upcoming years and households will pay 3.5 euro cents per kilowatt-hour of consumed electricity in subsidies next [...]

The Italian Regulatory Authority for Electricity and Gas has announced that the number of small power plants in Italy has increased to 74.000, highlighting that over 95% of those are solar power plants.  In fact, in 2009, small and very small photovoltaic installations grew by 123%, reaching 71.000 plants.  The Report also shows that the [...]

Given the power of German industry and the promises of the British market, France must play the innovation card. Offshore will soon be the main source of the European Wind Power. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), estimates that the annual installed onshore wind capacity should begin to decline in 2020 to be overtaken by the installed capacity at [...]

The WWF environmental group are demanding the definitive implementation of renewable energies in Spain by 2020 so that 50% of the energy consumed in the country and 80% of electricity come from renewable sources. Entitled “Renewable Energy in Spain 2020: barriers and possible solutions”, WWF has submitted a report which aims to achieve 80% green [...]

The General Council of Aran, Northern Spain has carried out a clearing of more than 20 hectares of Aran forest to be used in the production of biomass energy. In total 34,000 euros have been invested, financed by an agreement between the Provincial Government of Lleida and Aranese for the period 2009 to 2010. The [...]

The target set by the three Ministers of Ecology, Finance and Energy is to have a proposal by mid-February. This would bring a new regulation for the photovoltaic industry and the development of a plan to bring out the most innovative photovoltaic and environmentally efficient technologies. The actors of the industry fear that, in practice, [...]

UK Energy minister Charles Hendry said on Wednesday the government would put forward large-scale renewable energy support plans beyond 2013 in mid-July 2011, a year sooner than previously planned, easing investors’ concerns about returns on projects that require long construction times. For more information, please click on the following link: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6B73IK20101208

A group of experts and government advisers, the Climate Change Committee, have warned the government that the current poer market is not efficient enough to meet future targets. Suggestions have therefore been made to push the government to decide how much clean and renewable energy is needed. The government has welcomed this proposition and will [...]