Monday 24 March 2014

Your voice in the EU. about the proposed new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point C in Somerset.UK

A few weeks ago, Global 2000, part of Friends of The Earth, Austria, contacted me about writing to the EU commission for competition.  They already have a brilliant, fast, submission  for people to send, but it's in German, so  here are some scruffy facts and a quick DIY guide for people I've put together in English. It would be lovely if lots of us wrote.
                                         *****************************
Update: "copy and paste letter" now available in next post  http://dandelionithappens-dendelion.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-eu-consultation-on-state-aid-for.html

                                           **************************     

The EU commission opened a public consultation  on March 7th for a month about the U.K. state aid case for the new nuclear power plant, Hinkley Point C. 

The EU Directorate- General for Competition would really like to hear from you!

The more people who write, the better; you don’t have to be an expert.  
…..  You can email them at  stateaidgreffe@ec.europa.eu  
 You have until April 7th to write and it’s an opportunity to tell them how the possibility of higher electricity prices will affect you, especially if you are running a business.      *Help on how to write at the end of the post! 

 Background:   The government would give EDF a strike price of £92.50/MWh … (around twice the current rate) for the electricity. This would be index linked and fixed for 35 years from the time the nuclear power plant is supposed to start production in about 15 years’ time.
This means  that householders’, businesses’, industries’, schools’… electricity bills might have to cover much larger energy costs than from renewables, as well as their suppliers’ costs.

The UK government would also give EDF a very large loan to help build the nuclear power plant as well as other benefits.  If they, later, build two more of the same design at a second site at Sizewell B in Suffolk, the strike price would fall to 89.50/MWh.
Meanwhile, the cost of solar and wind are falling and expected to go on falling, as are the costs of other low carbon renewable energies. 

 Solar energy:
 The STA  [The Solar Trade Association]  has asked for a strike price of £91/MWh in 2018 and expects this to fall to £86 by 2019, falling year on year thereafter, paid over 15 not 35 years and with no nuclear style small print permitting a possible increase in strike price once those terms are set.”
…Quote from  Seb Berry, head of public affairs at Solarcentury and board member of the STA.
 Why did the Government fix a higher strike price for 2019 than they asked for?
http://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/decc_unveils_new_solar_strike_prices_for_2015_onwards_2356
  
Wind energy
The European Wind Energy Association says onshore wind costs could fall to £48/MWh by the 2020s potentially making it the U.K.’s cheapest power source.
(Also from page 6 Item 7)

And that’s just mentioning two of the low carbon renewable energies!

The EU commission commented on the affordability of electricity from the proposed new nuclear plant:
“The measures, moreover, could hardly be argued to contribute towards affordability – at least not at current prices, when it will instead and most likely contribute to an increase in retail prices….”

Also, If you have any connections with the renewable power industry, or you know anyone who has….the  EU Directorate-General would especially like to hear from you and them.
 One of the points the commission made was:
The Commission notes in this respect that a support  mechanism which is specific to nuclear energy generation might crowd out alternative investments in technologies or combinations of technologies, including renewable energy sources,………”

 The NFLA,CNFE and Stop Hinkley Media release says:
Renewable technologies will be unfairly constrained by the size of the Levy Control Framework funds available, the bulk of which will probably be used up by Hinkley Point C after 2023, despite the fact that solar and offshore wind are likely to be cheaper by then.”

Expert opinions have already been submitted, but this truly is a public consultation.... Will you be able to export to Europe  if other countries are paying a fraction of our electricity costs by 2023?   If someone comes up with a great idea for a new renewable product are the funds going to be there to help?

This is a real chance for people power .... don’t  let’s waste it! You can ask the European Competition Commissioner  to declare the State Aid which the UK Government proposes to give to Hinkley Point C as illegal.

*How to write to the commissioner.
 There is a list of important points you might like to add in the media release  below. Use one point, or use them all, it doesn’t matter.

Your letter
_________________________________________________________________________________
To
The European Commission
The Directorate-General for Competition
State aid Registry
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200
1049 Bruxelles/Brussel
BELGIQUE/BELGIË
From
first name *
Last name *
Email *                                                                                                               
Your Message
subject *
opinion *
  
Date
__________________________________________________________________________________

There is more information on each of the points at
and  facts at  No 2 Nuclear Power
‘From “No Public Subsidy “ to “State Aid”’
and this is the link to the full EU document!

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­