DOCSLIB.ORG

Energy Supply

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Energy Supply 4 Energy Supply Coordinating Lead Authors: Ralph E.H. Sims (New Zealand), Robert N. Schock (USA) Lead Authors: Anthony Adegbululgbe (Nigeria), Jørgen Fenhann (Denmark), Inga Konstantinaviciute (Lithuania), William Moomaw (USA), Hassan B. Nimir (Sudan), Bernhard Schlamadinger (Austria), Julio Torres-Martínez (Cuba), Clive Turner (South Africa), Yohji Uchiyama (Japan), Seppo J.V. Vuori (Finland), Njeri Wamukonya (Kenya), Xiliang Zhang (China) Contributing Authors: Arne Asmussen (Germany), Stephen Gehl (USA), Michael Golay (USA), Eric Martinot (USA) Review Editors: Hans Larsen (Denmark), José Roberto Moreira (Brazil) This chapter should be cited as: R.E.H. Sims, R.N. Schock, A. Adegbululgbe, J. Fenhann, I. Konstantinaviciute, W. Moomaw, H.B. Nimir, B. Schlamadinger, J. Torres-Martínez, C. Turner, Y. Uchiyama, S.J.V. Vuori, N. Wamukonya, X. Zhang, 2007: Energy supply. In Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [B. Metz, O.R. Davidson, P.R. Bosch, R. Dave, L.A. Meyer (eds)], Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. Energy Supply Chapter 4 Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................. 253 4.4 Mitigation costs and potentials of energy supply ................................................................. 289 4.1 Introduction ...................................................... 256 4.4.1. Carbon dioxide emissions from energy supply 4.1.1 Summary of Third Assessment Report (TAR) .... 258 by 2030 ........................................................... 289 4.2 Status of the sector .......................................... 258 4.4.2 Cost analyses .................................................. 290 4.4.3 Evaluation of costs and potentials for low-carbon, 4.2.1 Global development trends in the energy sector energy-supply technologies ............................. 293 (production and consumption) ......................... 261 4.4.4 Electricity-supply sector mitigation potential and 4.2.2 Emission trends of all GHGs ............................ 261 cost of GHG emission avoidance ..................... 299 4.2.3 Regional development trends .......................... 262 4.5 Policies and instruments ................................ 305 4.2.4 Implications of sustainable development and energy access ................................................. 263 4.5.1 Emission reduction policies ............................. 305 4.3 Primary energy resource potentials, supply 4.5.2 Air quality and pollution .................................. 309 chain and conversion technologies .............. 264 4.5.3 Co-benefits of mitigation policies ..................... 310 4.3.1 Fossil fuels ...................................................... 265 4.5.4 Implications of energy supply on sustainable development ................................................... 311 4.3.2 Nuclear energy ................................................ 268 4.5.5 Vulnerability and adaptation ............................. 313 4.3.3 Renewable energy ........................................... 272 4.5.6 Technology Research, Development, 4.3.4 Energy carriers ................................................ 280 Demonstration, plus Deployment (RD3) ............ 313 4.3.5 Combined heat and power (CHP) ..................... 284 References ................................................................... 315 4.3.6 Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) ...... 284 4.3.7 Transmission, distribution, and storage ............ 286 4.3.8 Decentralized energy ....................................... 288 4.3.9 Recovered energy ........................................... 289 252 Chapter 4 Energy Supply EXECUTIVE SUMMARY efficient energy systems will vary with the region, local growth rate of energy demand, existing infrastructure and by identifying Annual total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arising from all the co-benefits high( agreement, much evidence). the global energy supply sector continue to increase. Combustion of fossil fuels continues to dominate a global energy market The wide range of energy sources and carriers that provide that is striving to meet the ever-increasing demand for heat, energy services need to offer long-term security of supply, electricity and transport fuels. GHG emissions from fossil fuels be affordable and have minimal impact on the environment. have increased each year since the IPCC 2001 Third Assessment However, these three government goals often compete. There Report (TAR) (IPCC,2001), despite greater deployment of are sufficient reserves of most types of energy resources to low- and zero-carbon technologies, (particularly those utilizing last at least several decades at current rates of use when using renewable energy); the implementation of various policy support technologies with high energy-conversion efficient designs. How mechanisms by many states and countries; the advent of carbon best to use these resources in an environmentally acceptable trading in some regions, and a substantial increase in world manner while providing for the needs of growing populations energy commodity prices. Without the near-term introduction of and developing economies is a great challenge. supportive and effective policy actions by governments, energy- • Conventional oil reserves will eventually peak as will related GHG emissions, mainly from fossil fuel combustion, natural gas reserves, but it is uncertain exactly when and are projected to rise by over 50% from 26.1 GtCO2eq (7.1 GtC) what will be the nature of the transition to alternative liquid in 2004 to 37–40 GtCO2 (10.1–10.9 GtC) by 2030. Mitigation fuels such as coal-to-liquids, gas-to-liquids, oil shales, tar has therefore become even more challenging. sands, heavy oils, and biofuels. It is still uncertain how and to what extent these alternatives will reach the market and Global dependence on fossil fuels has led to the release what the resultant changes in global GHG emissions will be th of over 1100 GtCO2 into the atmosphere since the mid-19 as a result. century. Currently, energy-related GHG emissions, mainly from • Conventional natural gas reserves are more abundant fossil fuel combustion for heat supply, electricity generation and in energy terms than conventional oil, but they are also transport, account for around 70% of total emissions including distributed less evenly across regions. Unconventional carbon dioxide, methane and some traces of nitrous oxide gas resources are also abundant, but future economic (Chapter 1). To continue to extract and combust the world’s development of these resources is uncertain. rich endowment of oil, coal, peat, and natural gas at current • Coal is unevenly distributed, but remains abundant. It can be or increasing rates, and so release more of the stored carbon converted to liquids, gases, heat and power, although more into the atmosphere, is no longer environmentally sustainable, intense utilization will demand viable CCS technologies if unless carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technologies GHG emissions from its use are to be limited. currently being developed can be widely deployed (high • There is a trend towards using energy carriers with increased agreement, much evidence). efficiency and convenience, particularly away from solid fuels to liquid and gaseous fuels and electricity. There are regional and societal variations in the demand • Nuclear energy, already at about 7% of total primary for energy services. The highest per-capita demand is by energy, could make an increasing contribution to carbon- those living in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and free electricity and heat in the future. The major barriers Development (OECD) economies, but currently, the most rapid are: long-term fuel resource constraints without recycling; growth is in many developing countries. Energy access, equity economics; safety; waste management; security; and sustainable development are compromised by higher and proliferation, and adverse public opinion. rapidly fluctuating prices for oil and gas. These factors may • Renewable energy sources (with the exception of large increase incentives to deploy carbon-free and low-carbon hydro) are widely dispersed compared with fossil fuels, energy technologies, but conversely, could also encourage the which are concentrated at individual locations and require market uptake of coal and cheaper unconventional hydrocarbons distribution. Hence, renewable energy must either be used and technologies with consequent increases in carbon dioxide in a distributed manner or concentrated to meet the higher (CO2) emissions. energy demands of cities and industries. • Non-hydro renewable energy-supply technologies, Energy access for all will require making available basic and particularly solar, wind, geothermal and biomass, are affordable energy services using a range of energy resources currently small overall contributors to global heat and and innovative conversion technologies while minimizing electricity supply, but are the most rapidly increasing. Costs, GHG emissions, adverse effects on human health, and other as well as social and environmental barriers, are restricting local and regional environmental impacts. To accomplish this this growth. Therefore, increased rates of deployment may would require governments, the global energy industry and need supportive government policies and measures. society as a whole to collaborate on an unprecedented
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Download a Copy
    Cover image: Courtesey of EDF Energy — www.edfenergy.com/energy CONTENTS... 1 AT A GLANCE... 2 A BRIEF HISTORY OF NUCLEAR ENERGY... 4 BENEFITS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY... 5 WHAT THE PUBLIC THINK... 6 HOW NUCLEAR CREATES ENERGY... 7 HOW A REACTOR WORKS... 8 THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE... 9 MANAGING WASTE... 10 RADIATION EXPLAINED... 12 NUCLEAR AROUND THE WORLD... 14 UK NUCLEAR SITES... 16 NUCLEAR NEW BUILD... 17 NEW BUILD IN NUMBERS... 18 LOOKING TO THE FUTURE... 19 DECOMMISSIONING... 20 CAREERS IN NUCLEAR... 21 FUTHER INFORMATION... AT A GLANCE... Nuclear is a major part of our energy mix. Today it accounts for 21% of electricity generated in the UK and has been providing secure low carbon electricity for over 60 years. Low carbon energy, including There are 15 nuclear power and renewables, nuclear power account for almost 51% of the reactors operating UK’s generation electricity mix across eight sites in the UK In 2016 nuclear energy avoided 22.7 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions in the UK BEIS,Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2018 That’s equivalent to taking around a third of all cars in the UK off the road Civil nuclear contributes over £6 billion to the jobs in the UK civil nuclear sector UK economy as much as aerospace manufacturing 12,159 Women in civil nuclear 1,981 People on apprenticeships Three quarters of the public 914 believe nuclear should be part People on graduate schemes of the clean energy mix Jobs Map figures generated from participating NIA members 1 This simple timeline charts some of the key people, events and legislation A BRIEF HISTORY OF NUCLEAR ENERGY..
    [Show full text]
  • Lewis Wave Power Limited
    Lewis Wave Power Limited 40MW Oyster Wave Array North West Coast, Isle of Lewis Environmental Statement Volume 1: Non-Technical Summary March 2012 40MW Lewis Wave Array Environmental Statement 1. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY 1.1 Introduction This document provides a Non-Technical Summary (NTS) of the Environmental Statement (ES) produced in support of the consent application process for the North West Lewis Wave Array, hereafter known as the development. The ES is the formal report of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) undertaken by Lewis Wave Power Limited (hereafter known as Lewis Wave Power) into the potential impacts of the construction, operation and eventual decommissioning of the development. 1.2 Lewis Wave Power Limited Lewis Wave Power is a wholly owned subsidiary of Edinburgh based Aquamarine Power Limited, the technology developer of the Oyster wave power technology, which captures energy from near shore waves and converts it into clean sustainable electricity. Aquamarine Power installed the first full scale Oyster wave energy convertor (WEC) at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, which began producing power to the National Grid for the first time in November 2009. That device has withstood two winters in the harsh Atlantic waters off the coast of Orkney in northern Scotland. Aquamarine Power recently installed the first of three next-generation devices also at EMEC which will form the first wave array of its type anywhere in the world. 1.3 Project details The wave array development will have the capacity to provide 40 Megawatts (MW), enough energy to power up to 38,000 homes and will contribute to meeting the Scottish Government’s targets of providing the equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s electricity generation from renewable sources by 2020.
    [Show full text]
  • Working Paper
    WORKING PAPER The Value of Oil Price Projectiom Nebojsa Nakinnovic Leo SchrattenhoLzer October 1935 IQ-85-68 lnternrtionrl Institute tor -lid System, Anrlyth NOT FOR QUOTATION WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE AUTHORS The Value of Oil Price Projections Nebo jsa Nakicenovic Leo SchrattenhoLzer October 1935 TW-85-68 Working Papers are interim reports on work of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and have received only limited review. Views or opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Institute or of its National Member Organizations. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS 2361 Laxenburg, Austria -ABSTRACT AND SUBXAXY The central theme of this paper is the development of the international price of crude oil. A short overview of oil price his6ry is followed by a discussion of the factors that were responsible for previous, sometimes erratic, changes. We con- clude that these factors are likely to maintain their influence in the future, thus giving the forecasts of oil prices a high uncertainty. This uncertainty is reflected in several reports containing oil price proje[ctions. We argue, therefore, that a question soieiy about future oil prices must remain unanswered. Tnis does not render the efforts to examine the future futile; it simpiy means that the question shouid be rephrased. We offer one possible problem formulation that explicitly accounts for the high uncertainty. This formulation requires that specific policy probiems and options for solving them be specified before oil prices are projected - a condition that does not always hold or, at least, that does not seem to be regarded as important enougn to be described in many reports on oil price studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Net Zero by 2050 a Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector Net Zero by 2050
    Net Zero by 2050 A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector Net Zero by 2050 A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector Net Zero by 2050 Interactive iea.li/nzeroadmap Net Zero by 2050 Data iea.li/nzedata INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY The IEA examines the IEA member IEA association full spectrum countries: countries: of energy issues including oil, gas and Australia Brazil coal supply and Austria China demand, renewable Belgium India energy technologies, Canada Indonesia electricity markets, Czech Republic Morocco energy efficiency, Denmark Singapore access to energy, Estonia South Africa demand side Finland Thailand management and France much more. Through Germany its work, the IEA Greece advocates policies Hungary that will enhance the Ireland reliability, affordability Italy and sustainability of Japan energy in its Korea 30 member Luxembourg countries, Mexico 8 association Netherlands countries and New Zealand beyond. Norway Poland Portugal Slovak Republic Spain Sweden Please note that this publication is subject to Switzerland specific restrictions that limit Turkey its use and distribution. The United Kingdom terms and conditions are available online at United States www.iea.org/t&c/ This publication and any The European map included herein are without prejudice to the Commission also status of or sovereignty over participates in the any territory, to the work of the IEA delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. Source: IEA. All rights reserved. International Energy Agency Website: www.iea.org Foreword We are approaching a decisive moment for international efforts to tackle the climate crisis – a great challenge of our times.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Energy in the 21St Century: a Primer
    U.S. Energy in the 21st Century: A Primer March 16, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46723 SUMMARY R46723 U.S. Energy in the 21st Century: A Primer March 16, 2021 Since the start of the 21st century, the U.S. energy system has changed tremendously. Technological advances in energy production have driven changes in energy consumption, and Melissa N. Diaz, the United States has moved from being a net importer of most forms of energy to a declining Coordinator importer—and a net exporter in 2019. The United States remains the second largest producer and Analyst in Energy Policy consumer of energy in the world, behind China. Overall energy consumption in the United States has held relatively steady since 2000, while the mix of energy sources has changed. Between 2000 and 2019, consumption of natural gas and renewable energy increased, while oil and nuclear power were relatively flat and coal decreased. In the same period, production of oil, natural gas, and renewables increased, while nuclear power was relatively flat and coal decreased. Overall energy production increased by 42% over the same period. Increases in the production of oil and natural gas are due in part to technological improvements in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling that have facilitated access to resources in unconventional formations (e.g., shale). U.S. oil production (including natural gas liquids and crude oil) and natural gas production hit record highs in 2019. The United States is the largest producer of natural gas, a net exporter, and the largest consumer. Oil, natural gas, and other liquid fuels depend on a network of over three million miles of pipeline infrastructure.
    [Show full text]
  • SUSTAINABILITY REPORT ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2011 I Shell Sustainability Report 2011 Introduction
    SUSTAINABILITY REPORT ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2011 i Shell Sustainability Report 2011 Introduction CONTENTS ABOUT SHELL INTRODUCTION Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies employing 90,000 people in more than 80 i ABOUT SHELL countries. Our aim is to help meet the energy needs of 1 INTRODUCTION FROM THE CEO society in ways that are economically, environmentally and socially responsible. OUR APPROACH Upstream 2 BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTURE Upstream consists of two organisations, Upstream International and Upstream Americas. Upstream searches for and recovers oil 3 SD AND OUR BUSINESS STRATEGY and natural gas, extracts heavy oil from oil sands for conversion 4 SAFETY into synthetic crudes, liqueƂ es natural gas and produces synthetic oil products using gas-to-liquids technology. It often works in joint 5 COMMUNITIES ventures, including those with national oil companies. Upstream 6 CLIMATE CHANGE markets and trades natural gas and electricity in support of its business. Our wind power activities are part of Upstream. Upstream 8 ENVIRONMENT International co-ordinates sustainable development policies and 9 LIVING BY OUR PRINCIPLES social performance across Shell. Downstream OUR ACTIVITIES Downstream manufactures, supplies and markets oil products and 10 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ACTION chemicals worldwide. Our Manufacturing and Supply businesses include reƂ neries, chemical plants and the supply and distribution 11 KEY PROJECTS of feedstocks and products. Marketing sells a range of products 12 DELIVERING ENERGY RESPONSIBLY including fuels, lubricants, bitumen and liqueƂ ed petroleum 12 Natural gas gas for home, transport and industrial use. Chemicals markets 15 The Arctic petrochemicals for industrial customers.
    [Show full text]
  • ENERGY DARWINISM the Evolution of the Energy Industry
    ENERGY DARWINISM The Evolution of the Energy Industry Citi GPS: Global Perspectives & Solutions October 2013 J ason Channell Heath R J ansen Alastair R Syme Sofia Savvantidou Edward L Morse Anthony Yuen Citi is one of the world’s largest financial institutions, operating in all major established and emerging markets. Across these world markets, our employees conduct an ongoing multi-disciplinary global conversation – accessing information, analyzing data, developing insights, and formulating advice for our clients. As our premier thought-leadership product, Citi GPS is designed to help our clients navigate the global economy’s most demanding challenges, identify future themes and trends, and help our clients profit in a fast-changing and interconnected world. Citi GPS accesses the best elements of our global conversation and harvests the thought leadership of a wide range of senior professionals across our firm. This is not a research report and does not constitute advice on investments or a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instrument. For more information on Citi GPS, please visit www.citi.com/citigps. Citi GPS: Global Perspectives & Solutions October 2013 Jason Channell is a Director and Global Head of Citi's Alternative Energy and Cleantech equity research team. Throughout his career Jason's research has spanned the energy spectrum of utilities, oil & gas, and alternative energy. He has worked for both buy and sell-side firms, including Goldman Sachs and Fidelity Investments, and has been highly ranked in the Institutional Investor, Extel and Starmine external surveys. His knowledge has led to significant interaction with regulators and policymakers, most notably presenting to members of the US Senate Energy and Finance committees, and to United Nations think-tanks.
    [Show full text]
  • Primary Energy Use and Environmental Effects of Electric Vehicles
    Article Primary Energy Use and Environmental Effects of Electric Vehicles Efstathios E. Michaelides Department of Engineering, TCU, Fort Worth, TX 76132, USA; E.Michaelides@tcu.edu Abstract: The global market of electric vehicles has become one of the prime growth industries of the 21st century fueled by marketing efforts, which frequently assert that electric vehicles are “very efficient” and “produce no pollution.” This article uses thermodynamic analysis to determine the primary energy needs for the propulsion of electric vehicles and applies the energy/exergy trade-offs between hydrocarbons and electricity propulsion of road vehicles. The well-to-wheels efficiency of electric vehicles is comparable to that of vehicles with internal combustion engines. Heat transfer to or from the cabin of the vehicle is calculated to determine the additional energy for heating and air-conditioning needs, which must be supplied by the battery, and the reduction of the range of the vehicle. The article also determines the advantages of using fleets of electric vehicles to offset the problems of the “duck curve” that are caused by the higher utilization of wind and solar energy sources. The effects of the substitution of internal combustion road vehicles with electric vehicles on carbon dioxide emission avoidance are also examined for several national electricity grids. It is determined that grids, which use a high fraction of coal as their primary energy source, will actually increase the carbon dioxide emissions; while grids that use a high fraction of renewables and nuclear energy will significantly decrease their carbon dioxide emissions. Globally, the carbon dioxide emissions will decrease by approximately 16% with the introduction of electric vehicles.
    [Show full text]
  • Sellafield Magazine: Issue 7
    Editor's Letter Editor’s Letter British engineering making a hole lot of difference page 54 his issue of Sellafield Magazine comes later than originally advertised. As a publicly funded organisation we minimised our communication Tactivity in the run up to the General Election in June. It is our home within the civil service and as a subsidiary of the Nuclear Aspiring young writers visit Sellafield Decommissioning Authority that prompted another highlight from the page 70 last few months. Our digital home has moved. We are now part of the GOV.UK platform. You can read more about the transition of our website on page 63 and don’t forget to save our new address to your favourites: www.gov.uk/sellafieldltd We have been busy since our last issue so our pages are bursting with stories about the progress we are making on the Sellafield site. You can read about the doors we have installed into the side of an old waste silo on page 54; about the robots our supply chain partner Forth Engineering have developed to help us complete radiological surveys on page 12; and find out everything you need to know about our Site Ion Exchange Plant in the latest of our ‘In Focus’ series on page 50. Our new website: www.gov.uk/sellafieldltd is now live page 63 At a corporate level, we have published our new strategy as well as our transformation plan. Together they provide an overview of our direction and our approach to fundamental and far-reaching changes in our organisation.
    [Show full text]
  • Carbon Trust NI
    Reducing our carbon footprint An initial action plan for Northern Ireland 02 Reducing our carbon footprint Preface In June 2000, the Royal Commission on The Carbon Trust is a part of the UK Government’s Environmental Pollution (RCEP) published its strategy for developing and implementing this review of energy prospects for the 21st century national framework. The Carbon Trust helps and their environmental implications. This called business and the public sector cut carbon for concerted action to halt the rise in the emissions, and supports the development of low atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide carbon technologies. (CO2) and other greenhouse gases, which are beginning to induce substantial climate change on In Northern Ireland, it is working with the Northern a global scale. Ireland Government Departments to adapt this national framework into a programme of practical The RCEP concluded that the only workable way actions that can be implemented at local level. of limiting CO2 emissions (or ‘carbon emissions’) was to allocate national quotas that would As part of this process, the Carbon Trust and Invest converge to a standard allocation per person over NI sponsored a project to develop an action plan 50 to 100 years. that would realise deep reductions in Northern Ireland’s carbon emissions by 2050. For the UK, an international agreement along these lines implies a 60% reduction in carbon The objectives of the project were to: emissions from 1997 by 2050, and 80% by 2100. • Explore how the RCEP recommendation of a 60% In its
    [Show full text]
  • The Economics of the Green Investment Bank: Costs and Benefits, Rationale and Value for Money
    The economics of the Green Investment Bank: costs and benefits, rationale and value for money Report prepared for The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills Final report October 2011 The economics of the Green Investment Bank: cost and benefits, rationale and value for money 2 Acknowledgements This report was commissioned by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Vivid Economics would like to thank BIS staff for their practical support in the review of outputs throughout this project. We would like to thank McKinsey and Deloitte for their valuable assistance in delivering this project from start to finish. In addition, we would like to thank the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the Carbon Trust and Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL), for their valuable support and advice at various stages of the research. We are grateful to the many individuals in the financial sector and the energy, waste, water, transport and environmental industries for sharing their insights with us. The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors and not those of BIS or any other party, and the authors take responsibility for any errors or omissions. An appropriate citation for this report is: Vivid Economics in association with McKinsey & Co, The economics of the Green Investment Bank: costs and benefits, rationale and value for money, report prepared for The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, October 2011 The economics of the Green Investment Bank: cost and benefits, rationale and value for money 3 Executive Summary The UK Government is committed to achieving the transition to a green economy and delivering long-term sustainable growth.
    [Show full text]
  • Renewable Energy
    Renewable Energy Abstract This paper provides background briefing on renewable energy, the different types of technologies used to generate renewable energy and their potential application in Wales. It also briefly outlines energy policy, the planning process, possible problems associated with connecting renewable technologies to the electricity grid and energy efficiency. September 2005 Members’ Research Service / Gwasanaeth Ymchwil yr Aelodau Members’ Research Service: Research Paper Gwasanaeth Ymchwil yr Aelodau: Papur Ymchwil Renewable Energy Kath Winnard September 2005 Paper number: 05/032/kw © Crown copyright 2005 Enquiry no: 05/032/kw Date: September 2005 This document has been prepared by the Members’ Research Service to provide Assembly Members and their staff with information and for no other purpose. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, however, we cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies found later in the original source material, provided that the original source is not the Members’ Research Service itself. This document does not constitute an expression of opinion by the National Assembly, the Welsh Assembly Government or any other of the Assembly’s constituent parts or connected bodies. Members’ Research Service: Research Paper Gwasanaeth Ymchwil yr Aelodau: Papur Ymchwil Contents 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 2 Background .........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]