Background to Renewable Energy

The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts that the world's average temperature will increase by up to 3C within the next 100 years if emissions of greenhouse gases are not controlled. Rises in sea level of between 11 cm and 77 cm could be expected in the same period along with increased desertification. These could put 400 million people at risk of famine.

The side effects of global warming include:

• more extreme weather including droughts and flooding
• rising sea-levels caused by shrinking icecaps and glaciers
• loss of sensitive habitats and species extinctions
• health risks from diseases such as malaria and skin cancer

A major cause of global warming is carbon dioxide emissions from power stations burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). Over 70% of electricity generated in the UK is supplied by fossil fuel power stations. Globally, electricity demand continues to increase UK demand increases by approximately 1% a year. This rate is far greater in developing countries such as China and India. The UK will be a net importer of fuel by 2010.

Renewable energy sources have no carbon emissions and allow countries to reduce their harmful emissions without cutting back dramatically on energy consumption.

At the 1997 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change the UK Government committed to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to below 1990 levels by 2010.

In Europe the installed capacity of wind generation has increased by about 40% per year in the past six years. Total installed capacity at the end of 2003 was 28,706MW. Germany, Spain and Denmark are the main leaders with the following installed capacities :

The UK has the best wind resources in Europe but currently has only 1,582MW of installed wind farm capacity.

3.8% of the UK's electricity is generated from renewable sources. To reduce carbon dioxide and other polluting gases, the Government is seeking to increase the proportion of electricity from renewable sources to 10% by 2010, and 20% by 2020.

Electricity generating projects in the East of England region using renewable energy sources are estimated to total 325 MW (July 2005), 4.5% of the region's estimated electricity consumption for 2010. This compares to the target for the region of supplying 14% of homes with renewable electricity by 2010.

Chelveston Renewable Energy Ltd. will be applying for planning permission to Northamptonshire County Council, East Northamptonshire District Council and Bedford Borough Council later this year for up to 14 wind turbines and the biomass plant proposed. The purpose of this website is to inform you about the proposal and to provide you with the opportunity to comment on the proposals in advance of the planning applications.