October 5, 2015

the future of UK renewable electricity

New onshore wind farms will be excluded from a subsidy scheme from April 2016; together with planning and other changes, some say this could halt onshore wind in its tracks despite it being the cheapest source of clean electricity in the UK.

Early closure of the renewable obligation subsidy and a review of feed-in tariffs will affect the future of solar. The ‘climate change levy’ now also applies to renewable energy sources, despite the fact they emit no net carbon.

Scientists and engineers agree that the electricity sector needs to be decarbonised to meet UK climate targets. So where does this leave the technologies; and what future for renewable electricity in the UK? How will these policy shifts affect the UK energy mix, emissions and climate targets? And what messages does it send to investors and to climate negotiators in Paris?

Come to the SMC to hear Scientists and engineers came to the SMC to discuss the future of UK renewables.

Speakers:

Prof. Keith Bell, Professor of Smart Grids in the Institute for Energy and Environment, University of Strathclyde

Prof. Jim Skea, Professor of Sustainable Energy at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London

Dr Rob Gross, Director of the Centre for Energy Policy and Technology at Imperial College London

Prof. Jim Watson, Research Director at the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC)

Prof. Michael Grubb, Professor of International Energy and Climate Change at University College London