Power Company Powergen is putting up its gas prices by 24.4% and electricity prices by 18.4% - will affect about six million UK customers in the, the countries biggest energy supplier British Gas raises prices by 22% will raise gas and electricity tariffs by 22% from 1 March 2006; Npower is going to increase prices by 15% for gas and 14% for electricity, we may ask why the sudden hike in prices? I would suggest that this is actually the real price of energy which is mainly based on burning fossil fuel topped up with a small percentage of Nuclear and a token Renewable injection.

Decentralized electricity generation is going to be the new power technology of choice; decentralized power generation is enjoying impressive progress in the global market despite the many obstacles still in its way. The Rocky Mountain Institute have presented an analysis of the growth of decentralized energy and suggest why its development will (and in some countries is) outperforming that of a centralized plant, including nuclear power generation.

DECENTRALIZED GENERATION

or “micro power” as it is also referred to represents a good share or total generation in some countries, for example:

In 2004, 52% of the electricity generated in Denmark, 39% in the Netherlands, 37% in Finland, 31% in Russia, 18% in Germany, 16% in Japan, 16 % in Poland, 15% in China, 14% in Portugal, 11% in Canada. Yet it is omitted from many official statistics and projections, underreported in the media, and often dismissed by policymakers as small and slow - a fringe market too trivial to bother with. Surprise!

A recent compilation of industry and official data published in June by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) found that “micro power” worldwide has already surpassed nuclear power in both annual output (in 2005) and installed capacity (in 2002), and is growing far faster in absolute terms.

http://www.earthscan.co.uk
and http://www.ren21.net/
for further reading on this subject.

Sources: Npower, British Gas, Powergen and on request.