Renewable energy on the Isle of Man

1. Renewable energy on the Isle of Man

2. Tynwald Last year Tynwald promised the Isle of Man would produce 15% its electricity from renewables by 2015 This will lead to significant reductions in CO2 emissions

3. Overwhelming evidence of rapid global warming Little doubt climate change is man-made Created by burning fossil fuels (e.g. oil, coal and gas), which are rich in carbon dioxide (CO2) Climate change

4. Climate change will lead to more extreme weather events, including: Changes to weather patterns Excessive heat Heavier rain Flooding And stronger winds There’s general global consensus on the need to reduce CO2 by 80% by 2050 Our 15:15 renewables target is just a first step Impact of climate change

5. Three ways to face climate change: Deny it, as some do Fear it & either bury our heads in the sand or complain that the end is nigh, as some do Fully embrace the opportunities climate change presents This is an exciting time – we must reinvent the processes we rely on This means new economic growth, driven by a green industrial revolution How to view climate change

6. Oil takes millions of years to form Peak oil is when global demand for oil outstrips supply At this point prices will rise – a lot International Energy Agency says we’ll hit peak oil in 2020 Many believe it's already here The price of oil affects everything because oil is used to make almost everything Peak oil

7. Most electricity on the Isle of Man is now generated from natural gas But peak oil will lead to increased competition & demand for gas This will push gas prices higher While the Isle of Man’s impact on climate change may be small, the impact of global climate change policy and peak oil and gas on the Isle of Man will be LARGE Gas

8. In 2010 AEA Technology was commissioned by Tynwald’s Energy & Climate Change Committee They looked at costs, benefits & impacts of renewable & low-carbon energy options for IoM Renewable energy will make us less dependent on imported energy And less vulnerable to global price inflation AEA said our best short-term options are onshore wind, biomass & greater energy efficiency The AEA Report

9. Fast growing crops like willow can be grown as biomass & burned in boilers When harvested the crop is dried, pelletised & burned to generate heat & power The process is more or less carbon neutral – biomass only emits the CO2 absorbed while growing The new DEFA building is biomass powered already – the prison & hospital could convert to biomass too Biomass

10. AEA said we could produce 31,800 oven dry tonnes (odts) of biomass each year But only 6,500 odts could be grown on Government land The other 25,300 odts would need the support of farmers – and would take 10% of land out of food production If Government guaranteed biomass prices for five years, some farmers do this At a push, we might get 5% of electricity from biomass by 2015 Biomass logistics

11. Energy efficiency is crucial Around 1/3rd of all energy is used in the home Insulation is a big chance to save energy, but… around 2/3rds of homes are badly insulated In the past there were grants for insulation – sadly not now Energy efficiency

12. The 15:15 target can only be achieved with onshore wind A single onshore wind farm will produce around 12% of the Isle of Man’s electricity Wind is clean, affordable and reliable Onshore wind energy for the Isle of Man

13. Wind farm is on course for 2015 Over the next 12 months: wind speed data collection In 12 or 18 months time a preferred developer will be appointed Then a site will be selected After which there will be full public consultation Where are we now?

14. The general election could throw this important process off course Especially if new DEFA & DoI ministers don’t understand about: Climate change & peak oil The lengthy process already undertaken Renewable energy Electricity supply If this happens the IoM might become too big a risk for wind developers The general election

15. Arguably, renewables get less support than other energy types Coal, gas & nuclear industries were all built with public cash Governments still invest in new coal, gas, & nuclear Renewables get no financial support until they're operational Then the support is paid from within the energy industry itself Isle of Man's new gas pipeline got £23m from Tynwald – our wind farm will just cost a bit of civil service time & some MEA connectivity work Are wind turbines reliant on subsidy?

16. Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) were a clever scheme to fund UK renewable energy production They were funded by the energy industry – not by government ROCs are to be phased out & replaced with an industrial Feed-In Tariff (FIT) Renewable energy producers will be paid by energy suppliers for each unit of electricity sold to the grid Wind farms will still be financially attractive Access to ROCs or FITs would be great – but neither is essential ROCs and Feed In Tariffs

17. MEA will buy electricity from the wind farm developer Then they’ll sell it to us EITHER – (most likely) – they’ll sell an opt-in Green Tariff aimed at businesses & green-minded people M&S, Co-op, etc. have policies to use renewable electricity IoM FoE collected 1000 postcards from people interested in purchasing a Green Tariff The Green Tariff would cost a penny or two extra per unit How do we fund the wind farm without ROCs?

18. OR – (less likely) – costs would be shared across everyone In this case the price of electricity would go up by about half-a-penny a unit This tiny increase would protect against larger increases when peak oil bites Better insulation could help reduce overall costs for the fuel poor A (highly unlikely) third option is that central Government funds development directly from Treasury How do we fund the wind farm without ROCs?

19. Onshore wind energy will stay here Future offshore wind energy will probably be sold to the UK Isle of Man is a signatory to the Kyoto Treaty (to reduce CO2 emissions) through of our relationship with the UK Our actions affect UK targets too There’s a vested interest for the UK in bringing the IoM into ROCs/FIT scheme, even if we keep the energy ourselves Where will the energy go?

20. Wind is intermittent, but PREDICTABLE Wind turbines operate for around 30% of the time & are exceptionally efficient Intermittency is built into financial modelling Wind speed data helps predict annual electricity generation Our on-shore wind farm will produce around 12% of our electricity each year Intermittency

21. Alternative power sources kick in with zero disruption Electricity systems are made up of a number of power plants They’re designed to cope efficiently if one goes out of action Switching is so fast it doesn’t affect clocks or hospital equipment What happens when the wind stops blowing?

22. AEA says tidal & wave power are non-starters for us Perhaps in 10 or 20 years time At the moment they would require massive investment The technology is new & relatively untested Wind is much cheaper because the technology is popular & widespread, which means equipment can be manufactured more cheaply Is ocean power an option for the IoM?

23. We need both on & offshore wind farms to meet the necessary CO2 reduction targets Our 15% renewables target is just the first step on a long road 80% CO2 reductions are needed by 2050 Why don’t we put all the wind turbines out at sea?

24. RSPB ‘supports a significant growth in offshore & onshore wind power generation in the UK’ Britain has very tight environmental & wildlife planning rules that control where wind turbines are built RSPB has examined hundreds of applications in the UK & approved 93% of them So bird deaths from modern British wind farms are rare On the other hand, bird deaths from cars, cats, & windows are frequent Are wind turbines dangerous for birds?

25. If sited close to foraging routes, collision might be possible Natural England recommends 50m between turbines & foraging routes Developers ensure bats are led away from the turbines, e.g. by planting new hedgerows If identified on a site, great care would need to be taken to ensure the turbines posed no risk Are wind turbines dangerous for bats?

26. No – modern turbines are not noisy The small amount of noise is usually drowned out by roads, streams, or the wind itself The main sound is the swoosh of air as the blades pass the tower When the wind changes direction the blades are moved to face it by a small motor There are strict guidelines on wind turbines & noise emissions You can stand next to a turbine & have a conversation without raising your voice Are wind turbines noisy?

27. The towers are made of steel tubes They’re painted the average colour of the sky: matt light grey The blades are glass-fibre reinforced polyester or wood-epoxy Our turbines may have rotor diameters of up to 65m Towers may be up to 80m high We’ll know the details in time for the public consultation The carbon cost of installation is paid back in 6 – 8 months Wind turbine cabling will be underground Wind turbines 1

28. Polls in the British Isles show 80% of people in favour of wind farms 5% of people are against wind farms Wind energy is very safe Wind turbines are popular with tourists – a MORI poll in Scotland showed 80% would be interested in visiting a wind farm Developers are often asked to provide a visitor centre, viewing platforms & rights of way to sites Wind farms are popular with farmers – they get paid rent & can still use the land for growing crops or grazing livestock Wind turbines 2

29. Thank you for your time www.foe.org.im