So it’s official. The government’s Energy Review confirms what we’ve all known for some time: that nuclear power is back on the agenda. And just to make sure, the government is planning a fundamental reform of the planning system to smooth its way. Cynics might say that the sole reason for this review was that the 2003 energy white paper didn’t address the issue of nuclear power and the government needed a way to get it back on the agenda and fast. Looking at the lack of detailed policies put forward for energy efficiency and renewables, they might have a point.

A substantial part of the Review is dedicated to the importance of saving energy - however, a lot of this rhetoric appears to be simply reiterating the objectives of existing initiatives such as the Climate Change Levy, without providing specific details on new initiatives. Information on energy saving in existing buildings is also thin on the ground and there is still no clarity on the timetable for implementing the energy certification scheme under the EPBD or how these will be calculated.

One proposal that will impact on the design of future schemes is the call for decentralised energy supplies in a bid to lower emissions, increase diversity and hopefully lower costs. However, the government has delayed making any commitment on this until it has completed a review on the long-term potential and challenges of distributed energy, such as CHP, which is due out in 2007. Again, leaving a lack of hard detail with which to plan ahead.

But there are some positive messages. The review confirms the government’s commitment to the Renewables Obligation, designed to increase the level of electricity from renewables from 4% to 20%. It also floats the radical idea of introducing an energy supply obligation in 2011 that would reward energy suppliers for supplying less energy to homes.

So, while this latest review has confirmed what we already knew on nuclear front, it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Engineers advising clients need to plan ahead. For most, the review will probably make for disappointing reading, with its lack of detailed proposals and timescales. What the government needs to do now is fill in the blanks on implementation.

Source

Building Sustainable Design

Postscript

Stephen Kennett