Contacts and Policies of Groups in the UK Concerning Renewable Energy

In Association with the Climate Change Group of Transition City in Lancaster

 

 

 

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Index

Note: The biggest groups are concerning wind energy but there are groups aimed at a wide range of other factors.  You will need to go to each individual renewable energy group and follow their web site to their advice section. 

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Government Contacts:  

BERR (the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform)

Minister: Lord Mandelson

 

The splitting off of DECC, which was effectively at one point simply part of BERR.  This seemed to take place in 2008 which has largely changed address. Has a major site about energy with contacts: http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/page30323.html
many of the contacts are now in DECC….and DECC is moving to another building as part of a separate government section.   

Renewable Energy Strategy Consultation:

http://renewableconsultation.berr.gov.uk/consultation
(basically everyone would like something done!)  A lot of worry about the difficulty in actually getting things done because of planning problems.

Microgeneration (as part of BERR) and hence may have moved

John Moriarty 0207 215 1969  john.moriarty@berr.gsi.gov.uk  He is the man involved with the policy at the business enterprise and regulatory reform (BERR) department associated with microgeneration.    (sent email)
Sally Millward sally.millward@berr.gsi.gov.uk (sent email) micro.generation@berr.gsi.gov.uk. 

 

Government have an Energy and Climate security panel:
(specifically to advise Gov on questions that they have put).

Member Name

Position

Dieter Helm

Professor of Energy Policy, University of Oxford

Geoff Horton

Founder Horton 4 Consulting

Brian Count

Chairman, Progressive Energy

Keith Palmer

Chairman, Cambridge Economic Policy Associates

Dennis Anderson

Emeritus Professor of Energy Studies, Imperial College London

Peter Davies

Chief Economist, BP

 

Renewable Heat Policy

Steve Michell Department for Business, Enterprise

and Regulatory Reform

Steve.michell@berr.gsi.gov.uk

+44 (0) 207 215 5447

 

Department of Energy and Climate Change:

Currently under Ed Milliband.

 

This is a section of BERR that is now at a different address. 

e.g. Chris Barton, Darryl Sparkes (0207 215 5274), John Overton. They are part of the Renewables Directorate as part of the DECC.  I dealt with Teresa Abu as part of the group but she is not high up.     Francis Lujamoke 2660 (only good to talk to).

Director and Head of UK renewable energy strategy projects

Dept Energy and Climate Change.

7th Floor 3-8

Whitehall Place,

London

SW1A 2HH

0300 060 4000  (very helpful and encouraging)

However, DECC is in the process of moving and will no doubt simply change the people in their department that are set on specific things. 

 

Stephen DeSouza (DECC) involved with the policy concerning renewables such that it is economic. Partly concerning ROCs and changing of directive systems so that microgeneration can be a major factor.  stephen.desouza@berr.gsi.gov.uk 020 7215 6113  (in fact he is in charge of Steve Mitchell and John Moriarty: see http://biographies.parliament.uk/engine.asp?engine.asp?lev1=0&lev2=0&menu=1&ShowPage=body&Body=27087  He was extremely difficult to contact.

 

Duarte Figueira, head of office for Renewable Energy Deployment.

 

Chris Barton.  Acting Director for Renewable Energy and Innovation.

 

Simeon Thornton.  Chief Economist.

 

Fiona Mettam.  Head of Strategy and Business Planning (within DECC)  Jenny Milligan – Higher exec,  Helen Logo – Exec Officer 0207 238 4204.  Helen.olojo@decc.gsi.gov.uk  

 

Climate change projects office

At BERR via 0207 215 5000.  See 3 contacts.  All at lunch when I tried earlier. Vicky Elliott 0207 215 1608, Jed Jones 3748, Terry Martin 1102.  Basically they are aimed at foreign places where the burning of anything is stopped and replaced with the use of local electricity generation.  Not that helpful.  The aim being the allow UK carbon credits by giving the foreign countries the equipment.

 

 

ofgem 
9 Millbank, London,
SW1P 3GE.
Tel: 020 7901 7000.  (contacted their library for contacts) Library man (Keith Smith)…simply put me back to Moriarty.   Simon Polley simon.polley@ofgem.gov.uk 0207 901 7326.  He has been sent details.  It is not their responsibility to make things economic for any specific forms of renewable energy.  In general it is their direction to make sure that the game is being played fairly by the generators and distributors of the power itself.  I cannot believe that they don’t advise the government how things are run inside the industry.  Gareth Evans (Ofgem) rang back about the potential of the idea that I had put forward and asked for further information to go via him.  He understood all about FITs and ROCs but was quite adamant that Ofgem could not change policies but rather just carry them out.  He knew his thing and gave me DeSouza’s contact at BERR.  DeSouza and Evans may well be the key people in all this. Gareth.evans@ofgem.gov.uk   020 7901 7347 John Scott, technical director of Ofgem john.scott@ofgem.gov.uk .  Renewables desk 0207 901 7310 or 7320  

 

Electricity generators: (and some of them are site developers)

Renewable electricity generation in the UK is far behind much of Europe simply because it was not economic for individuals to carry it out.  Initially the feeling was that people would do it anyway, then there was the idea that there was going to be a high price for CO2 that was emitted, then there was an idea that the Government should demand that a certain (and rising) proportion of the energy sold to us should be from a renewable source (called ROC).  The generator companies got a bit of a shock from this one as suddenly the price of renewable energy shot up.  However, the price of gas and coal has come crashing down in the past 12 months and again it is simply worthwhile for the companies to avoid the Government demand.  However, they all know that this will not be forever and they had better be in there somewhere.   The FIT (Feed In Transfer) system used in parts of Europe, in which the price of the electricity was decided not by the market but by an official made sure that it would be economic to be produced.  However, the ROC system is continuing in the UK.

 

1.                  Eon:  initially try the media people: Emily Highmore jane.branscombe@eon-uk.com Press Officer 024 7618 3680 Deanna Mooney Press Officer 024 7618 3678, general information or enquiries, please call 024 7642 4000  or 0800 0515687 (renewables)  Darren.Cumin@eon-uk.com 02476 183520 as a contact.

2.                  Ecotricity *
Axiom House,
Station Road,
Stroud,
Gloucestershire
GL5 3AP.  
Tel: (01453) 756 111 (email sent)
info@ecotricity.co.uk

(try chris.whintle@ecotricity.co.uk or matt.partridge@ecotricity.co.uk Matt is in planning so a very useful contact)

3.                  Scottish Power Renewables
http://www.scottishpower.com/ewrenewables.asp
Cathcart Business Park
Spean Street
Glasgow
G44 4BE
0141 568 2000

Green Energy (UK) plc
Ramsey Dunning, 4 More London Riverside London SE1 2AU.  General Enquiries 0845 456 9550.  ramsay@greenenergy.uk.com (sent email).  ian@greenenergyuk.com, douglas@greenenergyuk.com Good contacts through Chris Hart. ian@greenenergyuk.com and douglas@greenenergyuk.com

4.                  EDF Energy *
40 Grosvenor Place
Victoria
London SW1X 7EN  Andrew Brown - Head of Media Relations: 020 7752 2268 Richard Robinson - Senior Press Officer: on 020 7752 2266 .
Jonathan Levy - Senior Press Officer: on 020 7752 2265  (they now control London Energy).  They are also very much involved with renewable energy partly because they fit with the demand for nuclear I suspect.

5.                  Centrica Energy Renewables. http://www.centricaenergy.com/index.asp?pageid=21  Millstream East
Maidenhead Road
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 5GD (0)1753 492 188 (switchboard)

6.                  Infinergy.  http://www.infinergy.co.uk/default.asp  30 West Borough
Wimborne
Dorset
BH21 1NF
United Kingdom  01202 847680

7.                  Vestas http://www.vestas.com/ 

(these are the people that build enormous numbers of wind farms all over Europe.  They are based in Denmark)

Alzvej 21, 8940 Randers SV, Denmark, +45 97 30 00 00 vestas@vestas.com Don’t get put off by their nationality, as they speak excellent English and built the offshore wind power by Barrow.

8.                  Your Energy Ltd
48 George Street
London
W1U 7DY  Tel: 020 7563 4747.  http://www.your-energy.co.uk/       

 

9.                  United Kingdom
Clipper Windpower Plc
9th Prince Consort House
27-29 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7TJ
Tel: +44 (0) 207 820 1078
Fax: +44 (0) 207 820 7808
Email: info@clipperwind.co.uk  http://www.clipperwind.com/index.html 

10.              Wind Direct
The Gatehouse
White Cross
South Road
Lancaster
LA1 4XQ +44 845 468 0230
http://www.wind-direct.co.uk/technologies2?t=onsite

11.              Renewable Energy Systems Ltd
Beaufort Court
Egg Farm Lane
Kings Langley
Hertfordshire
WD4 8LR  [map] Tel : +44 (0)1923 299 200
Fax : +44 (0)1923 299 299
Email: info@res-ltd.com 
http://www.res-group.com/contact-us/uk--ireland.aspx

12.              RWE npower renewables
Trigonos
Windmill Hill Business Park
Whitehill Way
SWINDON
Wiltshire SN5 6PB
T +44 (0)845 672 0090 or (0)1793 877777
F +44 (0)845 672 0050 or (0)1793 894431
E mail@npower-renewables.com 
I www.npower-renewables.com 

13.              Community Windpower Limited,
Godscroft Lane,
Frodsham,
Cheshire,
WA6 6XU
e: info@communitywindpower.co.uk
t: 01928 734544.  This is not a community company, as it’s name suggests.

14.              National Grid. 
National Grid House
Warwick Technology Park
Gallows Hill
Warwick
CV34 6DA Telephone: +44 (0) 800 783 9228.
They were absolutely excellent in that they were trying to help in many aspects.  They were specifically approached concerning the system by which any wind farm would be connected up to the grid. http://www.nationalgrid.com/UK .  Then again they also did take 10% of any money that was produced from the wind farm.

 

Local Community Companies for the production of wind energy

Don’t forget Energy4All in all this, in that they were started by Baywind as a method to try to get wind energy spread as a community group around the country.

1.      Origin Energy
219 West Offices
Station Rise
York
YO1 6HT
01904 659642
steve@originenergy.org.  They seem to be a small company, organised in York as a Community Interest Company.  Their aim in the long term is to run the wind power themselves and the transfer the money that is produced to the community energy saving produce (much the same as Transition City Lancaster Energy.

2.       Ecodyfi, Wind energy company.  Andy Rowland, Manager / Trefnydd, ecodyfi, 01654 703965, Ty Bro Ddyfi, 52 Heol Maengwyn, Machynlleth SY20 8DT www.ecodyfi.org.uk

3.      Community Renewable Energy.  Ross Weddle, Manager.  0775 88 00 650  or 01289 309669.  www.core.coo.  ross@core.coop.  This is a fascinating project that started on the Teeside site with a group that managed to ask the local NEDA of £400k over 3 years.  This was an amazing start.  They are designed as a Coop.

4.      Baywind Energy Co-operative Ltd
Unit 33 Trinity Enterprise Centre
Furness Business Park
Barrow in Furness
Cumbria
LA14 2PN
Tel/Fax: 01229 821028  http://www.baywind.co.uk/baywind_home.asp  (they are a very interesting  group in that they were formed as a Coop and sold shares – they now have over 1000 members – over the North West, they are happy to discuss problems, show people how to do things, discuss economics, go over the planning etc).  They are a very interesting lot and Annette at www.Energy4All.co.uk   is a good person to contact if you are considering things.  They have been very much involved in Government and local action all over the country.  Their main aim has been in helping communities set up local companies as Co-ops and then to raise part of the money that is needed for the wind farm locally: their expert in this is Andrew King.  Don’t forget their web site, which would show the energy4all site and which gives a good idea as to whether it is all worth  while even trying to start!!  See: http://www.energysteps.coop/index.php?page=frontpage

5.      Thameswey Energy Ltd., is a public/private joint venture Energy Services Company or ESCO between Thameswey Ltd., and ESCO International A/S owned by Miljo-Sam Holding APS.  They are associated with the ESCO group of Woking town council.

6.      Waterpower Enterprises.  They are clearly water power and not so much to do with wind.  However they give a good insight into the investment viewpoint that appeared. http://www.h2ope.org.uk/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

7.      Tresoc.  The Totnes Renewable Energy Society.   Ian Bright, a major renewable energy man for Somerset CC in now Managing Director of TRESOC no is 07968 364458.   Department for Communities and Local Government, and Carbon Trust.   Ian.bright@virgin.net .  There are other parts to the group that are determined to get things going.  Have a look at http://totnes.transitionnetwork.org/transitiontogether/solarpv    

8.      Transition Westcombe. http://transitionwestcombe.blogspot.com  and transitionwestcomeb@googlemail.com  They have been trying hard to look into various ways to get funding from various sources for different types of renewable energy. Contact Edward Hill just to make sure of all the web site is OK. edhill@glartists.com   The thing about them is that they have contacted large number of Transition City groups and involved them in all this.

 

   

 

Media Contacts:

To my surprise the farmers newspaper seem to show very little about all this, and the most data comes from other directions.  When asked, farmers had a view that things were worth the money and seemed to show little problem.

  1. Guardian: Darren.Sutton-warren@guardian.co.uk (see above under eon)  I have sent him an idea. He is expecting to contact me in January. (email sent, he wants me to contact him in January) Green Business Guide:  Editor Nick Mathiason…contact Darren Sutton-Waren 0207 713 4142. Econonomist, has written several excellent articles on the subject.  Ashley.seager@guardian.co.uk e.g. Soaring energy costs make solar power a bright idea. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/sep/11/energy.business
  2. Independent: Mike McCarthy. Environment. 0207 005 2000.  ext 2854. m.ccarthy@independent.co.uk.  Louisa.saunders@independent.co.uk Tim walker spoke to, but believe me the Independent simply does not have enough staff to answer the telephones.
  3. Energy Risk (a magazine) Stella Farrington, Editor(0)20 7968 ext 4610 Incisive Media,
    Haymarket House,
    28-29 Haymarket,
    London,
    SW1Y 4RX  (email sent)     stella.farrington@incisivemedia.com.  Their main factor in all this is to look into the risk involved in putting funding into specific forms of energy generation.  Their risk calculations are complex and because of this they have great difficulty getting around the rapid variation in the oil, coal, gas etc and other international sources.  Wind is in fact rather good because it is reliable but the sheer quantity of money they talk about almost put the small wind farms into the shade. 
  4. Windpower Monthly.  This is an American journal that is trying to follow up how things are going on all over the world.  They are just about screaming with joy now that Obama has got into the White House. http://www.windpower-monthly.com/   Windpower Monthly is published by Haymarket Business Media,
    174 Hammersmith Road, London, W6 7JP, England

 

Investment groups that are trying to make income from climate change or various other aspects of it

This is under the determination by finance investors in the city that renewable energy is of some value but probably over a longer distance than the current investments.  Ethical and ‘Green’ investment groups often also go in for renewables.  One of their problems is that they tend to deal in very large sums indeed  tens of millions of pounds and would demand that any shares or bonds that are produced can be sold on an open market.   Ethical investment groups are to some degree similar.  Green investment is either ‘dark green’ which just avoids bad things like armaments and ‘light green’ which are into alternative and renewable energy, low carbon etc. 

 

1.        Triodos Group.  For investment: Matthew Clayton: 0800 328 2181 email via mail@triodos.co.uk  (he’s there man concerning energy).  Also it is a good thing to contact James Voccaro, or his worker bees Chatherine O’Mally (0117 980 9583)  and Monica (9585)

2.        Jupiter investments.  Green team. Tel: 020 7412 0703.  arowlings@jupiter-group.co.uk.  Amy Rowlings spken to.    (email sent)

3.        Schroders Global Climate Change fund. 31 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QA  Matt Franklin and Simon Webber (portfolio managers). 020 7658 6000 www.schroders.com (email is through this)

4.        F and C’s Global climate opportunities fund.  Exchange House, Primrose Street, London EC2A 2NY 0)20 7628 8000.  Sophie Horsfall and Terry Coles, portfolio managers. Contact Paula Garrido on +44 (0) 20 7011 4190 or paula.garrido@fandc.com

5.        Virgin Climate Change Leadership Fund.  Through managers GLG Partners and Env research firm Trucost. To be launched in Jan.  Trucost seems extremely interesting in that they are particularly about the carbon footprint of various industries etc.  100 Palmall, SW1 5HP. Fund manager:  T: +44 (0) 20 7321 3809  fundmanager@trucost.com  (that’s OK an email)

6.        HSBC Global Climate Change fund.  Created an index of 300 stocks that generate at least 10% through broad range of climate change activities the final selection for their fund is to beat their index by 3%.   Farley Thomas, global head of wholesale at the HSBC.

7.        New Energy Finance. 283-288 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7HP. 0207 092 8800.  Try Angus McCrone 8834.  (sent email) angus.mccrone@newenergyfinance.com (this email address no longer appears to work but Angus is still there).  They basically look into the economics of investing in renewable energy products that are already available and the market for renewable electricity.  They have a very good web site for which you have to sign up: http://www.newenergyfinance.com/ 

8.        iShares SandP Global Clean Energy (an ETF fund)  Murray House, 1 Royal Mint Court, London, EC3N 4HH. 207 668 6007 (Fax Number) .  0845 357 7000 (Main Number)  www.ishares.co.uk  info@ishares.co.uk

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9.        Ethical Investors  (see Lee).  This size of local company tend to invest smaller amounts in greener directions.
Montpellier House
47 Rodney Road
Cheltenham
United Kingdom
GL50 1HX
01242 539848 

10.    Brewin Dophin Securities (Neil Harding).  They deal with the Triodos bank in raising capital for around £100M and they would certainly be willing to meet up with us concerning the projects and plans that are expected.
Box 512
National House
36 St Ann St
Manchester M60 2EP
0161 839 4222

11.    North West Development Agency: www.nwda.co.uk Their position is to push forward the development of specific development aspects in the NW.  They have a large budget and will want much of their money back because they will be investing in good projects.  Damian Burton (Climate Change and Energy man) 01925 400220 damian.burton@nwda.co.uk Mark Averton (director of Environment and Energy) 400283, Joe Flanagan joe.Flanagan@nwda.co.uk (the wind farms man) 01925 400332.   Discussion with him about the way in which NWDA can allow the Treasury to simply supply guarantee for bond capital for assets (rather than pump priming).  The NWDA would be getting its money back within around 5 years and the risk is low. Copies to secretary Irene.graham@nwda.co.uk

12.    Envirolink NW.  This is a group that looks particularly into small businesses in the NW that helps get them into a position that they can develop to present increased business.  They are particularly interested in renewable energy (Helen Seagrave) and will probably meet up with ourselves and NWDA to go over how it all would fit together. A good person to contact is in fact Nicola Ball.  01925 856037.  n.ball@envirolinknorthwest.co.uk

13.    Business Link NW
Building 2 Brian Johnston Way, Preston PR2 5PE Good contact would be Jan Collier 07500 127650 jan.collier@businesslinknw.co.uk .  However, many other contacts are there. 0845 0066888.  Particularly useful in putting to the people that may help.  The main problem with them is that they represent to some degree the North West Development Agency, which should itself be able to fund large amounts of work and tends to put this on to other groups…and they then do the same.

14.    Coop Bank.  They understood immediately what the potential advantages for the use of bonds, and the possibility that the use of equities may not be needed.   Chris also understood that it may well work and was looking into something similar themselves.  Christopher.matthews  chris.matthews@cfs.coop – 0161-829-5640 one of major people in the renewable energy, and asset finance team. He sounds someone that is excellent in this direction.  They are already dealing with Cumbria Vision (the Cumbria group for renewables), Westmill Wind Farm http://www.westmill.coop/westmill_newsdetails.asp?newsID=36 .  There is an entire group at the Coop that is working on the subject of renewables http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/servlet/Satellite/1224830455704,CFSweb/Page/Corporate-SpecialistTeams .  They look to be a very useful group concerning a certain amount of pump priming, and a certain amount of wind farm funding, but they certainly did understand the idea of bonds allowing the investment to be taken into the pension fund groups. If you cant get through to Chris Matthews then there is Matt at 0161 829 5167, James Puddephatt and John Sutcliffe on 829 4068.  Very much worth getting in touch with the Ethical Consumer Research Association (ECRA) http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/   0161 226 2929 (simply because they used subsidiary companies to raise capital)

15.    Cooperative Financial Services.   http://www.cfsfinancialadvisers.co.uk/  

16.    Co‑operativesUK.
Registered Office: Holyoake House
Hanover Street
Manchester
M60 0AS  For general enquiries, you can write to us at the address above, email us or telephone on 0161 246 2900. Our fax number is 0161 831 7684
This group seems to be very much involved in the setting up of IPS format companies of various types, CICs etc.

17.     

 

 

Examples of profitless corporate bond companies and ones guaranteed (effectively) by Government

This sort of thing has happened all around the world when there was inadequate funding of specific parts of the economy and this allowed external funding to take place.  Good examples are municipal bonds in the USA, federal bonds in asia, Europe (see http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/12052009/323/swedbank-plans-state-backed-5-yr-euro-bond-ifr.html)  etc.

 

1.      The Housing Finance Corporation.  They were used to increase the amount of money put into housing in the 1980s and they now progress through distribution of bond funding (and taking of payments) from the markets to the individual builders and owners of low cost housing.     Homes and Communities agency and tenet services authority, and the National Housing federation.  Guaranteed by reputation and reserves.  Lend into a regulated market (the TSA).   Set up as an industrial and providence society.   Organised by the Housing Corporation (Government Quango) in the 1980s when people simply were not building houses and lots were out of work.  S&P rating of A+ comes from it never having any company to whom it lends that has defaulted, and the original backing from the Government body.  
THFC
4th Floor
107 Cannon Street
London EC4N 5AF.   Telephone: +44 (0)20 7337 9920
Facsimile: +44 (0)20 7337 9935
Email: offices@thfcorp.com  www.thfcorp.com.  

2.      Government’s Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) which is designed to reduce the risks on lending between banks.  As part of the Government’s additional measures to encourage lending by financial institutions, the Government is extending the drawdown window of the CGS from 9 April 2009 to 31 December 2009, subject to state aid approval. This will support orderly issuance of debt guaranteed under the CGS. All other aspects of the scheme will remain the same, including the final maturity date of 9 April 2014. During the drawdown window, banks can issue new debt – and once it has been issued, they can keep rolling it over after the window closes (all of it until 13 April 2012 and up to one-third of the total until 9 April 2014). Further details of the scheme’s operation are available on the website of the Debt Management Office (DMO).

3.      Barclays….Sale of bonds that using money raised through  the CGS guaranteed by Government and they are to lend the money on to further aspects.  http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article4988526.ece

4.      National Savings and Investment.  This basically is backed by the Government in its equities, which are guaranteed, and which are bought at specific costs.  The set up of the company is such that no matter how many shares you own it makes no effect on the running of the company, and the return from it is not specified when the equity if first bought. NS&I, said: "As with all our products, customers' money is 100 per cent secure."  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/2851277/Government-guaranteed-equity-bond-offers-up-to-65pc-return.html

5.      Northern Rock.  In this case the Treasury set up a separate company that could issue corporate bonds that were guaranteed by the Government.  The money raised would then be given to Northern Rock to pay (the Bank of England) for the debt that had appeared.  Of course they sold the bonds very easily.  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/treasury-insists-on-1635bn-rock-asset-buffer-in-bond-issue-deal-771736.html

6.      Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP) This quango group guaranteed the £1M investment boost for two recycling companies in NI.  http://www.wrap.org.uk/wrap_corporate/news/wrap_guarantees.html

 

High-risk groups that are interested in funding specific aspects of environmental energy. 

They would be expected to want a high proportion of profit, to want to get their money back within a relatively short period (?3-5 yrs), to want their difficulties shown to the directors and for pressure to be available on directors.  They would want shares with voting rights that would be either at a specific value, or open to sale on the open market. You will notice that some do not have web addresses and this is probably because they are individual people and not huge companies full of money.

 

1.      The EIC Environmental Investment Network (http://www.environmentalinvest.com/Home/tabid/161/Default.aspx) They are aimed at both the investor and the entrepreneur

2.      New Energy Finance.  This is an international group organised through http://www.newenergymatters.com/ 020 7092 8800.  Although based in England and Wales it is also deals with the USA.  They are generally happy if you ring them up and discuss things with their investors.  Very easy to sign up with their web site.

3.      Green Energy Funding Ltd.  Based in St John’s London 020 7788 7429. http://www.greenenergyfunding.com/

4.      Amrite Ltd.  P O Box 421, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom HP10 8QP  Telephone: +44 1494 813205

5.      Halo Energy.  339 Muswell Hill Broadway, London, United Kingdom N10 1BX  Telephone: 00442083653761

6.      Powergen Renewables. Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry, Warks United Kingdom CV35 7TS  Telephone: 02476 425519

7.      Wind Prospect. Sutton House, Dovenby Hall Estate, Cockermouth, Cumbria United Kingdom CA13 0PN  Telephone: 01900 898100

8.      Renewable Energy Investment Club.  http://www.reic.co.uk/guide1.htm Unit 1, Dyfi Eco Park, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8AX
Contact: Andy Warrington or Michael Phillips.  Go via their home page: http://www.reic.co.uk/menu.htm to get more details about the people that bring money into the company

9.      Clipper Windpower
Market cap: £90m
The Story: London-listed US wind turbine manufacturer with plans to build turbines in North East for North Sea installations
The Cash: last half-year losses stood at $211 million; has $214 million of cash balances
The Shares: flat-lining in 2009 at 70p after falls last year
The Man: Douglas Pertz recently appointed chief executive after career in US industrial companies
The City Likes... it being well-placed for a US and UK wind boom. Michael McNamara at Jefferies says the stock could be worth 316p.

10. Renewable Energy Generation.
Market cap: £50m
The Story: building onshore windfarms around the UK and in Canada; generating power from cooking oil in Norfolk
The Cash: £3 million losses in last 6 months but paid 0.5p interim dividend; cash of £5 million and debt facilities of £20 million
The Shares: up recently to 51p on takeover talks, though that is back to where it was four months ago
The Man: chief executive is former utilities sector City fund manager Andrew Whalley
The City Likes... it is in renewables and has real revenues. Torben Sommer of Piper Jaffray says any acquirer should pay 94p a share

11. Clean Energy Forum.  This is a good source of private equity for wind energy projects.  www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/forum/speakers.html

12. Renewable Energy Investment Club.  This is specifically for venture capital angels.  Launched in 2002 it has clearly got a very good idea on how these things should be set up. 

13. Angel Investment.  This is a wide range of UK investment that looks to help entrepreneurs get hold of initial capital in a reasonable manner but again they will want their money back at a known chance and with a good return at a specific time.  www.angelinvestmentnetwork.co.uk/entrepreneur/67

 

Legal Aspects to the setting up of companies (and particularly Co-ops)

 

The setting up of limited companies is easy, quick, and is done through companies house in Cardiff.  Other formats of company are all more complex and you have to think what you are doing much more precisely.   Industrial and Provident Societies (as Co-ops) are done through the Financial Services Authority and take a much longer period, often around 4-8wks.  Their advantage is that they state to each person in the group that all of them are working together and there is a cuddly feeling about it all, whereas ordinary limited companies tend to have a feeling that the person in charge may just take the money and run. 

 

The enormous difficulties with IPS is that it is difficult for one person to take a much greater risk from another and yet they don’t get any greater repayment for the risk, or have any greater control over what is happening to their money. 

 

There are good web sites that will help to show how to set up ordinary limited companies: These are easily available on the internet and will take around a week to carry out.  They are exceptionally simple, but they open you into specific responsibility concerning tax, accounts, etc which you must fulfil every year.   

 

Starting up an ordinary limited company: This is simple and you can simply put the information into “companies house” and then ask it for the forms that are required.  Two pieces of data that are necessary are the Memoranda (which simply represents the precise way in which this company will be handled and laid out), and the articles of association (which represents the data showing how share holders should see the company being handled in all legal aspects).   The Government has now created an Articles of Assn document that might be used for all companies, or modified for them.  The document is enormous.  Ordinary company shares can have different sizes, but all you need to say is that all shares generally deserve the same voting rites (per share) and profits (per share).

Starting up a Community Interest Company.  CIC companies are more complex in that they have not really taken off adequately.  They are aimed really as a way in which money can be put into the community from relatively wealthy sources and the money will remain in the company (i.e. there is an asset lock).  This means that there is a tax advantage but the person that put in the money in the first place will not receive a great return.  Look this one up separately. 

 

Starting up an Industrial and Provident Society: 

To some degree this may be looked on as a good idea for a wind turbine or other form of energy production in the community.  The reason simply is that people don’t trust the large corporations and they tend to feel that they are being taken for a ride.  The clear things about them is that all holders of shares (no matter how many shares they own) will have the same number of votes.  Also it means that it is difficult to organise things such that the sudden selling of large number of shares will permit the original owners and organisers of the company to continue in that manner.  IPSs may in general conduct any legal business except that of investment for profit. Good lays out explaining IPS:

1.      Some IPS web sites showing ways to go ahead. http://www.voluntaryworks.org.uk/valuton/IndustrialandProvidentSocieties.asp ,  (this shows the way that IPS fall into two formats: Bone fide co-operatives, which trade for the advantage of their members.  And Societies for the benefit of the community, which trade to benefit the broader community.  It is worth looking up that web site just to see the advantages and disadvantages etc.  Also see:  http://www.communityshares.org.uk/ 

2.      Starting up a coop can be relatively easy but have a look at the documents of the Union of Cooperative Enterprises:  http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/start , which gives a good indication of how it can be. They have documents:

a.      Starting a Co-operative, a guide to setting up a democratically controlled business.  http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/live/images/cme_resources/Public/ots/Starting-a-Co-operative.pdf

b.      The contacts needed to help you start the coop in different parts of the country: http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/Home/miniwebs/miniwebsA-z/co-operativeDevelopment/cdbs

c.      Legal aspects needed to work your way through making sure it all stands up straight: http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/legal

3.      Community Investment - using Industrial and Provident Society legislation is available as a book for 15 pounds, including packaging and postage, and will be made available to download. For more information and to have a PDF emailed to you, email laura.chillag@cooperatives-uk.coop or call 0161 246 2953.  Or you  can download a major document: Community Investment: Using Industrial and Provident Society Legislation", by Jim Brown, Baker Brown Associates (2008) http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/live/images/cme_resources/Public/In%20the%20Spotlight/ITS%20Sept/Community-Investment-guide.pdf   This generally gives large numbers of explanations of how the legislation has been used in different ways.   This gives a bit of the history of the way in which IPS legilation was created and modified as well as discussing many different companies.

4.      IPS companies are corporate bodies that are organised and directed by the Financial Services Authority.  If you go to the FSA site of IPS http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/doing/small_firms/msr/societies/index.shtml you will see a good indication of how it all should be done.  IPS are involved with the Financial Services and Marketing Act 2000.  On this first page it explains that FSMA is concerned with the regulation of financial services and markets in the UK . Under Section 19 of FSMA, any person who carries on a regulated activity in the UK must be authorised by the FSA or exempt (an appointed representative or some other exemption). Breach of section 19 may be a criminal offence and punishable on indictment by a maximum term of two years imprisonment and/or a fine.  There is a great list of things that must be registered under this FSMA 2000 see http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/Doing/Do/index.shtml and and IPS needs to be registered for instance.  To download the form that is needed for the registration of the IPS go to. http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/doing/small_firms/msr/societies/index.shtml .  On that web site there are all the documents that you might need and a full indication of the regulations that are involved.   These documents are excellent and show that it is worthwhile making sure that the documents that you send to them initially to start the company could easily be the same as one of the others that they have done before…and so it will go through quicker and for only £40.  If you go around changing even minor things straight away then you will find that you will be charged for and up to quite a large amount.

5.      Financial Services.  The Coop has financial services that may be helpful in their ability to advise and raise venture capital intially. http://www.cfsfinancialadvisers.co.uk/  

6.      Legal Services.  It is common to find that people will recommend getting in touch with the Coop legal services group in order to set up the original company or to change it in some way.  http://www.co-operative.coop/legalservices/   However, it is necessary to ring them up to make sure that it all works. 

 

 

Enterprise Investment Scheme

 

A good explanation of the details are present on HMRC website (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/vcmmanual/vcm20010.htm) and on several other sites e.g. http://www.is4profit.com/is4money/tax/enterprise-investment-scheme.html

 

For investment aspects as risky (initially) as wind farms it is clear that any ways in which to decrease the potential losses to investors will be useful.  The EIS seems amazingly good for investors:

1.      £400,000 may be invested annually to qualify for the tax gains (this may have increased to £500k by now)

2.      An investor may continue to invest so that the amount invested over several years may be as large as possible.

3.      The investor must invest a minimum of £500 in any one tax year.

4.      The money should be fully paid up in cash.

5.      Tax benefits:

a.      20% income tax on the amount invested

b.      No capital gains tax when the shares are themselves sold if disposal takes place after 3 years.

6.      Qualifying business activities.  This basically shows that a risk must be being taken by the investor, and that this risk must be worthwhile to HMRC.  There is a complete list of qualifying activities.

7.      In addition the EIS shares must not be issued other than for bona fide commercial purposes, and must not be issued as part of a scheme or arrangement whose main purpose, or one of whose main purposes, is the avoidance of tax.

8.      There is no longer a requirement that the same company must carry on the trade throughout. This change gives investee companies scope for moving a trade around a group without jeopardising investors’ reliefs. (see http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/vcmmanual/VCM12100.htm) .  This may be of significance in the case of an IPS that is taking major risks in that it seems that a separate limited company (that sells shares under the EIS) may be able to lend the money to the IPS.  This must be checked in advance. 

 

The mathematics of the EIS are very important for the wind farms in that there must be considered a  60% chance of full loss of money when applying to the local authority for planning permission for a single site.  Without the EIS any venture capitalist would expect a return of probably 4 times his money, whereas with it he might expect only 2.5 times (and still do very well). 

 

The biggest problems for any company starting up as an IPS is that this system is not organised for EIS.  Clearly the shares have a specific value, and do not increase in value.  The value of them is through their annual income.   Of course if there is any major risk that might appear, then a venture capitalist will want EIS (or go to another company) because the advantage is potentially so great.  It appears that the EIS advantage to them can only be the 20% advantage that might be as a relief in income tax but not from capital gains tax at all unless a crafty way around this is found.

Separate Non-Government, Non-Commercial Wind Power Groups

There are a lot of them.  The more you look, the more you will find and that simply shows that there are a lot of small groups throughout the UK that would do things if they got the chance. 

1.                  Energy services co. (ESCo) 28 day rule now gone temp.  moving house. Looked into this.  Germans starting to.  (told about this by Chris Wilcox). London ESCO, contact alex.goodrich@lcca.co.uk, or call Alex Goodrich on 020 7593 8249.   EDF energy own 81%.   Dalkia, thamesway.   An interesting crowd in that they are trying their best to get things done.  

2.                  Dalkia plc ESCO
Elizabeth House
56-60 London Road
Staines
Middlesex
TW18 4BQ
Tel 01784 496200

3.                  Community Action for Energy.  This is a semi-government group but the aim is to help anyone in the community improve the way in which they use energy and how they alter this. http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/cafe/welcome/   After you have registered with their site it gives good information about how to get hold of grants, places to ask, contacts, etc.

4.                  Thameswey Energy Ltd., is a public/private joint venture Energy Services Company or ESCO between Thameswey Ltd., and ESCO International A/S owned by Miljo-Sam Holding APS

5.                  Energy Saving Trust 21 Dartmouth Street,
London SW1H 9BP 020 7222 0101  http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ 

6.                  Solarcentury, Charlotte Webster on 0207 8030148 (a company that does these things and is very good and runs a web site that is aimed specifically to try to get people to know about it all. ) www.solarcentury.com  charlotte.webster@solarcentury.com . Solar Century  via Solar Twin (magazine) Jeremy Leggett;  0845 1300 137  chris.Wilcox  c.Wilcox@solartwin.com (sent email) good seemed to know his stuff. (this is a commercial group but they are extremely helpful outside this)

7.                  Natural Choices.    This seems to be a group looking for ethical decisions. As a result they like the idea of green things.  www.naturalchoices.co.uk They have quite a wide web link site.

8.                  The Renewables Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century. REN21 A sort of international group that looks into how things should progress.  They appear to have a lot of contacts.  http://www.ren21.net/default.asp If you go to their web site and look into their links search to the Green and Tory Party this may well produce good results. 15 rue de Milan
75441 Paris Cedex 9
France
Phone +33 1 44 37 50 94
Fax +33 1 44 37 50 95
Email info@ren21.net

9.                  World Future Council.  Feed-in Tariffs.  Based in Germany they are actually quite difficult to get hold of and their web site does not help.  They like feed in tariffs as being the best way to progress. 

http://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Miguel/Bauknecht_Mitchell_Connor__2002__Risk__Innovation_and_Market_Rules_-_A_Comparison_of_the_RO_and_the_EEG.pdf   (this is the article from Warwick about the comparision beteen ROCs and FITs) Miguel Mendonca (book on FITs).

World Future Council
Postfach 11 01 53
20401 Hamburg
Germany

Emails appear to be Robert@worldfuturecouncil.org so probably Miguel@worldfuturecouncil.org

10.  Renewable Energy Assn:

Worth asking basically just what things are like and how: size of PV systems, costs, changes, where they are going and how fast.  020 7747 1830,  17 Waterloo Place, London, United Kingdom, SW1Y 4AR.  Try Andrew Cooper (microrenewables policy manager) or  Gaynor Hartnell (director of Policy) or Philip Wolfe (Chief Exec)  (he will be back tomorrow).   acooper@r-e-a.net

 

11.   Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood Street
LONDON
N1  7JQ
UK .  020 7490 1555  info@foe.co.uk Stuart croft .  In London they have a climate change group involving Robin Webster robin.webster@foe.co.uk 020 7566 1672 Nick Rau nick.rau@foe.co.uk 020 7566 1714. 

12.   Friends of the Earth Scotland
Thorn House
5 Rose Street
Edinburgh
EH2 2PR
Tel: 0131 243 2700  http://www.foe-scotland.org.uk/contact/ 

 

13.   Greenpeace: 020 7865 8100 info@uk.greenpeace.org  (email sent)

14.   Energy Retail Assn.  17 Waterloo Pl, London SW1Y 4AR  0207 930 9175.  (note that this is the same address as Renewable Energy Assn see above) Damion Sedgewick, Nicola Bowles (media, communications), Russell Hamblin Boone (policy) email: info@energy-retail.org.uk (sent)

15.   Energy Watch 08459 060708 (asher?). Headoffice 0207 799 8340;

16.   National Energy Action (mainly about keeping old people warm)  0191 261  5677

17.   Yes to Wind http://www.yes2wind.com/contact.html An extremely good site for looking up all the arguments for and against wind power per se, and then going to some degree into wind power assessment in a particular place. Their contact system is really only by email at info@yes2wind.com . You can see which side of the fence they are on!

18.   World Wild Fund for Nature.  www.wwf.org.uk  Panda Hosue, Weyside Park, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1XR 01483 426444.

 

19.   Tresoc.  The Totnes Renewable Energy Society.   Ian Bright, a major renewable energy man for Somerset CC in now Managing Director of TRESOC no is 07968 364458.   Department for Communities and Local Government, and Carbon Trust.   Ian.bright@virgin.net        

 

20.   British Wind Energy Association. BWEA
Greencoat House
Francis Street
London, SW1P 1DH, UK
http://www.bwea.com/ 020 7901 3000  They are a reasonable bunch but they are almost fully funded by the big commercial companies.  As such they will do many things to help any project (e.g. contacts). 

 

21.    All Energy.  This is a group based in Aberdeen and international shows.  A lot of very good information and links. http://www.all-energy.co.uk/Home.html

 

22.   Community Sustainable Energy Programme http://www.communitysustainable.org.uk/ The Community Sustainable Energy Programme will provide £8 million to communitybased organisations for the installation of microgeneration technologies, such as solar panels or wind turbines and energy efficiency measures including loft and cavity wall insulation. It will also provide £1 million for project development grants that will help community organisations establish if a microgeneration and energy efficiency installation will work for them.

 

 

 

Politics

A lot of things may well have changed between the various times of the Labour Government in 2009, but the way to get better names etc is to ring up one of the numbers and just ask someone.  They are usually very helpful….if they answer the phone!

1.      sian.berry@greenparty.org.uk Green party candidate for London Mayor. She is their woman on Climate Change. The Green Party of England and Wales 1A Waterlow Road London N19 5NJ .  They also produce a report from 2007 ‘Greenprint for a Renewable Energy Policy that Works’ http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2007/1UKEnergyPolicyInDisarray_2.pdf This seems remarkably sensible in that it takes in market policies and problems at the same time.  Caroline Lucas MEP must be expected to be very busy just now!
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/people/caroline-lucas.html .   Their economics person is Molly Scott Cato: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2003/fivetests.htm

2.      Malcolm Wicks MP Minister of State for Energy now replace by Lord Truscott.  Part of BERR. Truscott’s speech at the micropower conference in March 2007:  http://www.dti.gov.uk/about/dti-ministerial-team/page39321.html (just saying well done). Ministerial Correspondence Unit
Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
1 Victoria Street
London SW1H 0ET  enquiries@berr.gsi.gov.uk 020 7215 5000.  I get the impression he may have changed his position since Brown took over.

  1. Lynne Jones MP Selly Oak, Lab.  Went with Alan Simpson and has made it clear that FITS were a good idea.  jonesl@parliament.uk 0121 486 2808
  2. Alan Simpson MP Nottingham Sth. Interested in the EcoHouse in his constituency, went abroad to look at how they were doing it there.  Has asked several questions in the House of Commons.  On his web site is a story about visit. http://www.alansimpsonmp.co.uk/pdf/Climate_change/Tale_Two_Cities.pdf 0115 956 0460 simpsona@parliament.uk   

5.      Ian Pearson MP Dudley South Lab Minister of State for Climate Change and the Environment.  pearsoni@parliament.uk  (01384) 455022

6.      David Kidney MP Stafford Lab. Said they needed Smart Meters  (8th Nov)  Tel. 020 7219 6472 kidneyd@parliament.uk
Green Policy.  www.egovmonitor.com/node/14152 (the reply to the Government document)  There is a much larger document which will not download easily. It is full of pictures.  http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2007/1UKEnergyPolicyInDisarray_2.pdf

7.      Liberal Democrats Policy    Under Chris Huhne.  He has a number of sites on their website.: zero carbon new houses: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/lib-dems-back-plans-for-zero-carbon-britain.13168.html  Under Jeremy Browne there is their policy for climate change: http://www.libdems.org.uk/environment/issues/climatechange.html

8.      Tory Policy.  Peter Ainsworth the environmental spokesman. info@peterainsworth.com 0207 219 5078

9.      Ken Livingstone’s Climate Change Action Plan.

10. Alan Redwood!!!  Backed up Alan Simpson in a discussion on Solar panels on 26th June.  redwoodj@parliament.uk
Telephone: 0118 962 9501
Fax: 0118 962 9323
Website: http://www.johnredwood.com

11. Jeremy Corbyn calling for an annual report on microgeneration. 26th June. Email: corbynj@parliament.uk  Westminster Office  House of Commons
London SW1A OAA  Tel 020 7219 3545

 

Other Policy Groups

1.      Green Alliance.  They have a specific policy concerning microgeneration see http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/grea_p.aspx?id=350 Green Alliance, 36 Buckingham Palace Road London SW1W 0RE (44) 0 20 7233 7433 ga@green-alliance.org.uk  http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/grea.aspx?id=34 (through this you can get to their policy, which has been given the OK by several large groups, but not the politics people it was produced by Joanna Collins in 2004 and does not seem to mention FITS.

2.      Phil Webber.  In fact he is the chairman of the Scientists for Global Responsibility. phil.webber@kirklees.gov.uk ?? He has done a lot on the policy concerning energy making.   I have found it very difficult to contact him.  Kirklees Council has been carrying out large amounts of attempts at trying things out (and got money from Government to do it).

3.      The Merton Rule Org.  http://www.themertonrule.org/   A local group that showed that it all could take place as long as the system made it possible.  The web site goes nowhere.

4.      Zero Carbon Now organisation.  Zero Carbon 1 Parker Street Cambridge CJ1 1JL info@zerocarbonnow.org They have a lot of contacts and links.

5.      UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy  http://www.bcse.org.uk/  This web site is useless and I suggest going via http://www.bcse.org.uk/ukbcse/docs/2006/UKBCSE%20Press%20Release%20-%20%20Ian%20Marchant%20New%20Chairman.pdf .  Ian Marchant is Chairman. Provide a high level forum for dialogue between the UK energy industry,government and other stakeholders on the key issues shaping the deployment ofsustainable energy technologies; i.e. they are specifically the group of energy producers that are used by the Gov to talk to and get opinion. David Green, Chief Executive, UKBCSE: 020 79764293 Denis Kerby, Scottish and Southern Energy: 0870 900 0410. 

6.      Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP).  Seem to be setting themselves as a worldwide type of organisation. REEEP International Secretariat, Vienna International Centre, Room D1732, Wagramerstrasse 5, A – 1400 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43 1 26026-3425
Fax: +43 1 21346-3425email: info@reeep.org http://www.reeep.org/  locally there is james.smith@reeep.org / +44 20 7099 2215.  This also contains the Sustainable Energy Regulation Network, which you need to become part of REEEP in order to be part of as well. 

7.      Greenhouse to Greenhouse.  They have a useful web site and go into carbon rationing and how individual houses may have to have this tradeable. http://www.mng.org.uk/gh/index.htm Their position on FITs is seen under http://www.mng.org.uk/gh/green_electricity.htm and their position concerning photovoltaics is under the same page.  They say that prices will have to drop and have the web sites of a number of suppliers and useful people in UK. Gerry Wolfe at Gerry@mng.org.uk 44 (0)1248 712962

8.      Energy 21 mail@energy21.co.uk Telephone: 01279 777 989.  They don’t have a decent web site and I cant tell anything about them.

9.      The Micropower Council.  A group of mainly commercial companies but also including the green alliance.  Their aim is to push forward the production of microgeneration.  Their website  is interesting and is well done.  Micropower Council
149a, Grosvenor Road, London, SW1V 3JY Email: info@micropower.co.uk http://www.micropower.co.uk/  They clearly kept up with the politics of it all so that they had the latest statements from both sides of the house on their side!

10.  Carbon Trust.  The Carbon Trust is a private company set up by Government in response to the threat of climate change. Our mission is to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by developing commercial low carbon technologies and working with business and the public sector to reduce carbon emissions.  8th Floor
3 Clement's Inn, London, WC2A 2AZ.  Tel: 0800 085 2005.  Data about carbon footprinting. http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/publications/publicationdetail.htm?productid=CTV033.  The main contacts are: http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/default.ct customercentre@carbontrust.co.uk .  They have recently changed their managers etc and so it is difficult to contact someone that knows what is going on concerning new funding systems. Contact: andrew.macdonald@pfr.co.uk  who is the finance director for ‘partneship for renewables’, which is the finance section for the Carbon Trust that is involved in the financing systems for wind farms.  The current manager for this, Jay.jacombs@cabontrust.co.uk did not seem to understand what I was talking about when I described a system for funding that may not need them to spend money.  A useful secretary is Carmyl.higson@carbontrust.co.uk   I have logged onto the carbon trust site with a password of ‘jessie1’.   What they do have is a wind-speed estimator: http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/windpowerestimator/WindPowerEstimatorTerms.aspx which depends on much better precision for the site of the turbine.  They are setting up a community ownership growth. 

11.  Partnerships for Renewables.  This is organised as part of the Carbon Trust but as a separate organisation that deals with local groups.  They try to get the local planners to find land (often their own), they then assess it for wind energy, and then it is assessed for the work to go ahead largely funded by Partnerships for Renewables: http://www.pfr.co.uk/ .  All changing about in the Trust as usual.  Now apparently it is Jay Jacombs. (jay.jacombs@carbontrust.co.uk) in charge, and Andrew MacDonald (andrew.macdonald@pfr.co.uk) the commercial director.  Head Office: Partnerships for Renewables, 6th Floor, 5 New Street Square, London, EC4A 3BF Tel: +44 (0) 207 170 7000.  

12.  CLAREN. www.claren.org.uk 0845 601 8874. (does not work) Try going through 077806 45306 Email: e.bruce@snw.org.uk. Town hall, Duke Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria LA14 2LD Set up in Cumbria. (www.claren.org.uk) .  Instead, have a go at CLASP (Climate Change Its Time To Act), which is based in Cumbria and organised by the local council.  Its aim is to try to organise climate change actions with other parts of the NW and groups within it.  The web site is not great.  http://www.climatechangenorthwest.co.uk/web-portal.html A good contact there is Phil Davies and Bridget Pearce at Environment Directorate § Cumbria County Council § Kendal § Cumbria § LA9 4RQ Tel: 01539 713401

13.  Energy Saving Trust.  http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/housingbuildings/funding/solarpv/  0800 512 012.  Very widely organised from the companies to the consumers.

14.  New Economics Foundation www.neweconomics.org/  020 7820 6300.  Their direction is much more towards the admission that globalisation may actually have great problems for localisation and that local groups should look on their local economics in terms of a leaky bucket. To keep money and wealth locally, it should be used again and again in the local district, and gradually it will leak out through holes.  They suggest always looking in this way on energy, and that this should be produced locally if possible.  Contact: Liz Cox, elizabeth.cox@neweconomics.org , and Pat Connaty pat.commonfutures@phonecoop.coop 01938 850328.  They are producing a document about Guaranteed Energy Bonds and understood our suggestions well.

15.  Green New Deal Group.  This is basically associated with the Green Party.  It has some excellent members that seem to have good insight into what is needed and how to go about it.  One of the best here is Richard Murphy.  http://www.greennewdealgroup.org/?page_id=2  Ruth Potts (ruth.potts@neweconomics.org)
Colin Hines (chines@dial.pipex.com)

The Green New Deal Group
c/o nef (the new economics foundation)
3 Jonathan Street
London
SE11 5NH

t: 0207 820 6357
m: 0774 902 6203 http://www.greennewdealgroup.org/  

16.  The Sustainable Development Commission.  This is an independent group that reports to the office of the Prime Minister, and to that in Wales and Scotland.  Its position is specifically to advise how to go about pushing towards sustainable life in the UK. http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/index.php  Address in London: Room 101, 55 Whitehall  c/o 3-8 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HH. 0207 270 8498.  This is complex in that it is basically a wide range of people that come together to produce documents and reports.  As such there is little point in ringing them up.   However, going through their address to find out who to contact and going to them directly is probably one of the most effective routes.

17.  Transition Towns groups.  This is a network of groups from towns all over the country that are determined to change the way that people act and use up large amounts of energy, while seeing themselves as poor.  The major group is at Totnes, which has been the most successful.  They have a group called TRESOC (the Totnes Renewable Energy Society), which has several extremely useful people: Ian Bright, also the Sustainability Officer for Somerset (07968 364458),  Andrew Baldrey andrew@notrogerthebodger.co.uk   07790 300376, BenBrandwyn@transitionnetwork.org 07904 122636,  Rob Hopkins robjhopkins@gnd.com 07868 604454.

18.  Renewable Energy Assn.  Johnathan Johns  johnsjayhjay@aol.com  07831 486987.  This is the person that set up the original REA and has done well from wind energy himself.  Effectively he may turn out to be a helpful in looking for advice.

19.  Global Windpower Day.  This is a yearly day (this year it was 15th June) for specific this purpose of raising the aim for wind power.  http://www.globalwindday.org/  +32 2 400 10 55 

20.  Embrace Wind.  This acts as part of the REA. 020 7901 3000.  Its aimed at helping to organise the wind week (13-21 June), and getting it going in the UK as part of the Global Windpower Day, which is a national effect.

 

University interested people:

Remember with academics, they are under intense pressure to fulfil demands from Government over how well they are acting in teaching and research.  Unfortunately all this depends on student numbers and publications.  They are aching for funding from official sources and chances of publications.

1.      Catherine Mitchell.  Univ of Exeter catherine.Mitchell@exeter.ac.uk (was Warwick Business School, now Exeter).  Wrote a lot about ROCs and ability for them to supply the requirement.  She was determined that even reform of ROCs would not work.  C Mitchell and Woodman, B: The Burning Question; is the UK on course for a low carbon economy, ippr (2004)

2.      Bridget Woodman 02476 528484 or 07981 741667 Warwick Business School, also try Xavier Lemaire.  Felt that the increase in nuclear power would make life difficult for renewables and would take too long to deliver and would be too expensive.  This document was published by the Green Alliance with Cath Mitchell.  She is also a Greenpeace nuclear campaigner.  http://www.wbs.ac.uk/downloads/news/2006-03-nuclear-energy.pdf .  Her reply to banding:  http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file36545.pdf

3.      NATTA (Network for Alternative Technology and Technology Assessment).  Open University.  MK7 6AA.  01908 654638  S.J.Dougan@open.ac.uk

4.       Climate Research Unit
University of East Anglia
Norwich, NR4 7TJ
England Tel: +44 1603 592722
Fax: +44 1603 507784
E-mail: cru@uea.ac.uk
Web: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/
(did not reply to simple messages)

5.      Centre for the study of Environmental Change and Sustainability
John Muir Building ,
The King's Buildings,
Mayfield Road ,
Edinburgh ,
EH9 3JK,
Scotland Tel: +44-131-650-4866
Fax: +44-131-650-7214
Email: cecs-office@ed.ac.uk
Web: http://www.cecs.ed.ac.uk/
(helpful but they spend most of their time teaching!) 

6.      Department of Business Studies,  Lancaster University and Manchester University. 
There are various people at Lancaster Univ that feel that this is an important factor that should be chased up in different departments.  I will have to add contacts at a later point.  Martin Widdicks at the Finance Department has put me on to the group in Manchester University under Professor Syd Howell, which is fully funded from DTI to investigate the financial adequacy of specific plans.
The University of Manchester.  
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
Tel: +44 (0) 161 306 6000. His direct line: 0161 275 6405 at Manchester Business School, also his Professor of Mathematics, Peter Duck on 0161 275 5831.  peter.duck@manchester.ac.uk  Initially they were very interested but by June were totally overworked.  Suggested Prof Mark Shackleton m.shackleton@lancaster.ac.uk  594131 (interested in the issue of corporate bonds).  Note that the 

7.      University of Lancaster
Jonathan Mills jon.mills@lancaster.ac.uk  and Louisa Malkin involved in the wind energy project of the University itself. 

 

Development of Green bonds

1.      New Energy Finance.  283 High Holborn 0207 092 8800.  London, WC1V 7HP. Try Angus McCrone 8834.  angus.mccrone@newenergyfinance.com  

2.      Financial Services Authority.  25 N. Colonade.  Canary Wharf.  London E14 5HS.  0207 066 1000  or 0845 066 1000.  Contact:  perimeterguidance@FSA.gov.uk Bonds are under FSA if trading them.  The company that does the trading must be doing it under the FSA regulations.  If  they are tradeable then in fact they may be out side the FSA see part 18 FS Markets Act 2000 or the Regulatory activities order 2001.  (very helpful man; Roland: 0207 066 3954)

3.      Goldman Sachs.  Peterborough Court, 133 Fleet St, London 0207 774 1000.  Direct number to the Bond group: 0207 774 6093  martin.weber@gs.com (Encouraging)

4.      Sustainable Developments Commission 3-8 Whitehall Pl.  Room 101 55 Whitehall Place, LondonSW1A 2HH  0207 270 8498.  The Green Bonds have been put forward when discussing the SDC’s position see the pages from 12th April 2009 on Richard Murphy’s blog site.  http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/category/green-new-deal/ .  The Commissioner for Energy and Climate Change is Bernard Bulkin, a director of a number of companies (and so probably quite practical) http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/bernard-bulkin.html  .  Don’t forget Tim Lang who is head of the land use section http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/tim-lang.html and Anne Power who is head commissioner for housing http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/anne-power.html .

5.      Treasury.  Alastair Darling.  Enquiries department.  1 Horsegards Rd, SW1A 2HQ 

6.      DECC.  Ed Milliband.  3-8 Whitehall London SW1A 2HH.  Switchboard at 0300 060 4000.   

7.      Rt Hon Lord Mandelson, Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) 1 Victoria St, London SW1H 0ET 020 7215 5000

8.      MP for Lancaster and Wyre.  Ben Wallace.  House of Commons.  London SW1A 0AA

 

Groups that are specifically against changes that may affect renewable energy

To work out exactly why specific groups are against renewable energy is unclear, in that if you ask them directly they are almost all agreeing that it should take place in some way.   The idea that damage would be done to birds has not stood up and the RSPB has agreed that it is a poor argument, the farmers group agree that it is an income for farmers and they can feel little in the way of noise or difficulties on the land.  The medical problem that was considered with the flicker from the wind turbine sails against the sun in the evening has not turned out to be true in that the turbines are too slow and at any distance the flicker is minimal.  The woodland people felt that trees might come down and there be damage to the woods but in fact this was not a major problem in the UK where there are not all that many trees on the right sites anyway.   The  reason that appears to go with many is that they are worried in that a wind farm may decrease the value of their house, if it is too close, and that the wind farm will not look nice.   Many people happily find the wind turbines attractive.   The CPRE have various plans to prevent wind farms but these generally just slow things down and bring some money into the local village.    Many of the local web sites asking to stop the plans simply don’t give their reasons and the impression you get from reading through is that they simply don’t like them.

 

  1. CPRE National Office (campain for the protection of rural england)
    128 Southwark Street
    London, SE1 0SW
    Tel: 020 7981 2800
    info@cpre.org.uk and http://www.cpre.org.uk/home They tend to be very conservative, rather than actually anti-renewable energy.  However they do offer an opening to look for ways to prevent wind farms, and they worry to a major degree as to whether the wind farms or even wind masts can be even seen from certain directions.
  2. Country and Land Business Association.     

They are aimed at making sure that the land owners are not left unpaid or bypassed with the formation of various of renewable energy projects. http://www.cla.org.uk/   The man to contact is: Phone: 020 7460 7940
FAX: 020 7235 4696
Email oliver.harwood@cla.org.uk

  1. Natural England: The Annex, Barton Hall, Garstang Road, Barton, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 5HE
    Tel: 01772 865224 
    Email: northwest@naturalengland.org.uk
    Their position is to make sure that the nature in any particular site is adequately saved and is not put at risk. http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/
  2. Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group:
    Stoneleigh Park,
    Kenilworth,
    Warwickshire,
    CV8 2RX  e-mail: info@fwag.org.uk  www.fwag.org.uk
    Tel: 02476 696699
    Their position like others is to try to prevent damage to wildlife. 
  3. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds  http://www.rspb.org.uk/ 
    01767 693 680  (they admit that there is little risk, and that in fact with many forms of renewable energy the birds will actually be advantaged)
  4. Woodlands Trust.  01476 581135. email at enquiries@woodlandtrust.org.uk (they do not appear to have any anti-renewable energy policy)
  5. Country Guardian.  http://www.countryguardian.net/Index.htm Their aim is basically against wind farms.  The logic behind their position is extremely difficult to follow.  For instance their mathematics over the number of homes that would be supplied by wind power from a single 1.0MW turbine is reasonable as being at 600 houses.  However they forget that much bigger turbines are available, and more than one turbine can be used so that 20 times the 600 houses could be supplied by a single wind farm.    They say that a visible wind farm ‘devastates’ house prices…well I’m not at all sure about this anyway in that when I talk to people they say that they get used to the wind farm fairly quickly.   They say that the sound is dreadful…well modern turbines are almost inaudible from about 200 yds and are certainly less than a car from 10 yds.  They say that birds are affected…and this is not what the RSPB say.  I have just visited 2 sites where the birds were nesting all around.  One had skylarks and the other had curlews and there was certainly no bird horror.    Their arguments were odd and mainly seemed to depend on people just not wanting the turbines.  Many of their links do not work or were out of date.  They have a perfectly good link to the data from Which? It is a report that home-type windpower machines were not efficient and this seems reasonable: http://www.which.co.uk/advice/wind-and-solar-power/windsave-wind-turbine/index.jsp
  6. Various small groups throughout the UK.  All of which seem simply not to like the wind farms and see them as a blight on the landscape.  Their reasons are not completely well laid out.  E.g. http://www.stoplenchwickwindfarm.org.uk/ This an excellent site in its layout but it does not give anyone that actually disagrees a chance to say so…like most of them.  Most of the methods that they seem to put forward involve preventing noise testing, preventing wind power testing, preventing bird checking…and never actually finding out whether any of these factors are of significance.   Little was ever said about carbon emission or climate change.
  7.  Wind Farm Victims.  http://www.windfarmvictims.org.uk/ We must not forget the UK is long behind much of Europe in the development of wind farms and much of the science behind all this has already been published in scientific journals.  Like all science, if you really want to find someone that disagrees you will be able to find one.  This web site seems to have tried hard to find problems:  that wind farms cause medical problems or noise problems (both of which are extremely difficult to demonstrate at all).   They do, however, explain that house prices are affected and at the moment this may be true to some extent but not to the degree that is claimed.   They do not claim that there is any association between the nuclear and wind industries.

 

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