Comments on: Ecotricity Offering Green Electricity For Less Than Dirty Electricity

By: JamesWimberley

JamesWimberley — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:05:00 +0000

The UK Energy Secretary respónsible for the negotiations, Edward Davey, is Liberal Democrat. Any deal would be under intense scrutiny, especially as his predecessor Chris Huhne had to resign for ethics violations. The Tories would not give him any cover.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 19:22:00 +0000

When do we start seeing some knowledgeable projections of how prices could end up once tidal/current turbines are mature?

By: Others

Others — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 18:58:00 +0000

Tidal Turbine moves ahead in Scotland. Its just a wind turbine installed under the sea. This is another front of Wind energy technology. Its just like Solar Thermal is for Solar Photovoltaic.

http://www.gasandoil.com/oilaround/2013/09/scotland-gives-go-ahead-to-europes-largest-tidal-energy-array

By: John Murray

John Murray — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 14:15:00 +0000

Things like this will continue to happen across the world. Change is inevitable. Clean energy is a good thing for all of us. Dirty energy has done enough damage. They will lose out as renewables become a less expensive and viable alternative. The claim that renewable energy is too expensive is out-of-date propaganda. http://clmtr.lt/cb/xUr0bJd

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 05:37:00 +0000

I found one site claiming US wholesale electricity costs are just under 50 pounds/MWh. About $80/MWh or $0.08/kWh.

EDF has insisted on a guaranteed price of $0.15/kWh for every kWh of electricity for the next 40 years before they will build a new reactor. The UK has offered $0.12 and EDF refused. Laid off staff and started retreating back to France.

If Ecotricity can undercut today’s retail price then their production cost must be as low or a bit lower than the general UK price.

If you’ve got a green company who can produce at 8 cents how can politicians justify giving out a 40 year contract to nuclear at >12 cents?

If a contract is written for a new reactor then someone needs to start looking to see if money was passed under the table.

By: MrEnergyCzar

MrEnergyCzar — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 03:56:00 +0000

This must make fossil fueled power companies in the states sick…. parity is coming.

MrEnergyCzar

By: JamesWimberley

JamesWimberley — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 23:04:00 +0000

This is brilliant, disruptive marketing. The tiny headline price gap is bound to get wider, as Ecotricity´s vulnerability to fossil fuel price shocks and nasty surprises on nuclear power must be negligible. They have just dealt a blow to the ever more expensive prospects of reviving Britain´s nuclear power programme (Google ¨Hinkley Point C¨).

The example illustrates the advantages of breaking up integrated utility monopolies into a regulated monopoly grid operator, acting as a common carrier, and competitive generating firms marketing to consumers. To begin with, the change looks cosmetic to consumers. But then innovators like Ecotricity break in.