subject: Renewable Energy And Job Creation [print this page] Against a global backdrop of rocketing oil costs and concerns about climate change and security of energy supply, interest in renewables has never been more intense. Green energy is energy from natural sources - the wind, sun, geothermal, waves and tides, and water - which, unlike fossil fuels, such as coal, gas and oil, will never run out. Also renewable energy technologies produce little or no greenhouse gases - the main reason of climate alter.
The key challenges with energy efficient power sources are how to produce it, turn it into usable energy and deliver it to where it is required. Not famous for being the sunniest of places, the UK has some of Europe's best wind power resources and is a world leader in marine power technology. Although the fact that|Even though] wave and tidal power technologies are still in their infancy, the Carbon Trust estimates that marine power sources could produce up to 15% of the UK's electricity. In May 2008, the world's first commercial tidal turbine was settled in Strangford Narrows, Northern Ireland providing power to 1,000 homes.
Growing at a global rate of 30%, wind power is the most mature and cost effective energy technology: worldwide in 2008 there was 121 GW of installed wind capacity, with the UK accounting for some 4 GW of settled capacity by the end of 2009. Under the EU Renewable Energy Directive, the UK government has signed up to a legally binding target of generating 15% of UK energy from renewables by 2020. This is a seven-fold raise from the 2008 level of just over 2%. Renewable power production in the UK is at a very low level collated to other countries such as Denmark, Spain, Germany and the US. There is a mountain to climb if the 15% target is to be met.
The UK's Renewable Energy Strategy 2009, published in July 2009, sets out how the government plans to achieve its ambitious renewable energy objective. Specific objectives include generating more than 30% of electricity from renewable sources (compared to around 5.5% today), mostly on- and off-shore wind, but also hydro, biomass and marine power technologies. Transport energy from renewables will need to grow from the current 2.6% to 10%, and 12% of heat energy is undertaken to come from sources such as biomass, solar and biogas.
Along with carbon capture and storage technologies, carbon emanation trading, new nuclear capabilities, and energy saving and effectiveness measures, renewable energy is part of the government's plan to shift the UK to a low-carbon, more self-sufficient energy economy that addresses both climate change and security of supply problems.
If the tactics reaches its goals, the UK will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by more than 750 million tonnes between now and 2030. Fossil fuel use will decrease by around 10% and gas imports by 20-30% by 2020. The strategy forecasts that achieving the targets could make half a million jobs in the renewable energy sector by 2020, and leverage $100 billion worth of investment opportunities.
