Sir, Regarding ‘Belgian anti-wind campaigners vent fury at EU‘: In support of those who are proponents of alternative energy and recognising fully that wind farms degrade substantially the Belgian countryside which I adore, I suggest that these people have a point. Wind farms significantly detract from the appeal of the countryside by degrading the visual [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Spain’s renewables boom seen driving gas capacity‘: The various statements heard during recent weeks by the Spanish transmission system operators for electricity (REE) and gas respectively (Enagas) that Spain would still need to further increase its combined cycle power plants as back-up power for the safe integration of large amounts of wind power [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Alcoa halts Italian plants after EU electricity ruling‘: European Union taxpayers must welcome the news here that its money is being used to subsidise big industry! The reference here puts it plainly: the EU executive has ruled that the ”preferential electricity tariffs offered to Alcoa by Italy for aluminium smelters in Sardinia and [...]

Dear Mr. Miliband, Regarding ‘Copenhagen needs CCS‘: While I agree that CCS appears to be an attractive technology, which could one day make significant contributions to reducing emissions, it is also being used as a Trojan horse by energy companies. By promising future reductions in emissions (say in 10-15 years time), they seek to get [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘EU chief: ‘Energy and climate are today’s coal and steel’‘: PWR’s business is monitoring the development of the renewable energy sector (RES) and climate change policies in Europe. As such, we are reasonably well placed to comment on the success or otherwise of the EU’s policies in these two linked areas. Mr Barroso [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘No ‘one size fits all’ for EU power linkage’, experts say‘: The apparent disagreement between François Meslier of EDF and the French regulator concerning the need (or lack thereof) for improved cross border connections misses a few important points. The recent DG TREN infringement proceedings against 24 member states with respect to cross-border [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘EU leaders warned about emerging ‘major’ gas crisis‘: As the threat of another potential gas crisis looms, AEGPL, the European LPG Association, would like to highlight the availability and suitability of LPG as a back-up alternative, particularly in industrial installations. Not all back-up fuels are created equal. LPG, as a clean-burning gaseous fuel with [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Smarter grids crucial for delivery of EU climate goals‘: I’m an ex-power engineer (having designed and operated power networks) working in the area of renewables. I disagree on a fundamental level with the comments by GE’s Keith Redfearn concerning ‘Smart Grids’ and that renewables targets are too demanding for the existing transmission network. [...]

Sir, I have written a rejoinder to Rühl’s interview on peak oil.  Please click here to read it. I have put in BP’s figures from the 2008 Statistical Review in a plot, which shows that there might well have been a global peak in 2006. John Busby Energy analyst Sanders Research Associates

Sir, Regarding the article ‘EU agrees joint line on global financial reform‘, published on Friday 7 November 2008, concerning the G20 summit in Washington on 15 November: It is better, of course, to go to such a summit after having hammered out a common position. But will it be possible to deliver the expected swift [...]