PowerSwitch

CONCLUSIONS
5.8. The conclusions that can be made from this key issue review are stark. It is clear from Figure 5.1 that fewer renewable energy schemes are being determined. This suggests that fewer renewable energy schemes are entering the planning system.

Similarly Figure 5.2 shows that fewer renewable energy schemes are becoming operational each year and Figure 5.3 highlights that because of this less renewable electricity is being provided to the grid each year.

5.9. It seems that the main reason for these downward trends is that the lack of landfill gas sites remaining in England. Much of the landfill gas resource seems to have been tapped and is now in use. As result as this resource was used up the number of schemes has declined. However this decline has not led to more schemes from other technology bands being determined or becoming operational. In fact their numbers have remained fairly constant except for the very slight increases in the number of wind schemes. This despite the increased amount of funding and subsidies available for renewable energy schemes in England.

5.10. One reason for this may the differences between each of the technology bands. Landfill gas schemes are largely invisible and almost go unnoticed when compared to the landfill site that might have preceded them. Wind power however is very conspicuous, and whilst there may be good subsidies for it, there is also a strong antiwindfarm lobby often made up of local and national groups. Similarly municipal and industrial waste schemes are often rightly or wrongly seen as a health hazard. The other technologies also receive mixed support with: biomass schemes showing promise; hydro schemes potentially limited to a number of sites; and photovoltaics being popular but producing little more than domestic capacity.

5.11. The Government must however address the decline highlighted in this section. It must do this if it hopes to meet its own targets of having 10%, 20% and 60% of electricity coming from renewable sources by 2010, 2020 and 2050 respectively. Landfill gas schemes will play a part but as more sustainable forms of waste management are introduced through documents such as PPS 10, there will be a steady decrease in the number of landfill sites and so landfill gas schemes. This drop will have to be picked up through the utilisation of other renewable technologies.

Some technologies may not yet be developed, however the UK should not rely on future technology. The effective use of the technology of today should be incorporated as far as possible into all development and policy to ensure future sustainability.

We may have so little electricity from other sources that no matter how pitiful the level of electricity coming from renewables it will still end up being the majority of our supply!