Friends of the Earth: Press Release: POWERGEN: 'GENERATING CLIMATE CHANGE WHATEVER THE WEATHER' TIME TO INCREASE YOUR RENEWABLES, SAYS FOE

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POWERGEN: 'GENERATING CLIMATE CHANGE WHATEVER THE WEATHER' TIME TO INCREASE YOUR RENEWABLES, SAYS FOE

13 Jul 1998

PHOTOCALL:
10:30am, Monday 13 July 1998

International Convention Centre, Birmingham,
FOE campaigners will demonstrate outside the AGM with a banner saying: POWERGEN: GENERATING CLIMATE CHANGE WHATEVER THE WEATHER', and dressed as the WeatherGens - characters from PowerGen's sponsorship of the ITV weather bulletins. FOE's 'WeatherGens', however, will represent the extreme weather associated with global climate change - severe storms, floods and drought.

Campaigners from Friends of the Earth will attend the Annual General Meeting of PowerGen plc on Monday 13 July 1998. FOE will highlight the large power company's contribution to global climate change through its fossil fuelled generating plant.

Only 0.1% of its electricity was generated from renewable energy sources [1]. Shareholders from FOE will ask the company what contribution it plans to make to the Government's target of a 20% cut in CO2 emissions by 2010. FOE research shows that a significant increase in renewable energy capacity is needed if the Government is to achieve its CO2 target and tackle the threat of global climate change [2]

Anna Stanford, Energy Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

"PowerGen's market share fell last year partly because warmer weather reduced electricity demand. This could be one of the first signs of global climate change,yet PowerGen continues to invest in fossil fuel power stations, including new coal-fired plant in Asia. Its investment in renewable energy is a mere token.

We will be asking the Board: how will you contribute to the UK's climate change targets? What are your targets for building new renewable energy plant? How will you meet consumer demand for green energy in the newly liberalised market?

The big generators should be taking the lead and investing in the energy technologies of the future. This is where future profitability lies for the industry. Doing nothing about climate change, on the other hand, will cost us all dearly.'

PowerGen owns around 20% of power generation capacity in the UK and contributes 40.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, in 1997 [3]. This is over 7%of the UK's total CO2 emissions [4]. Its generating plant is 60% coal and 40% gas, with renewable energy schemes contributing a measly 0.1% of its total electricity generation. While gas is less carbon intensive than coal, FOE does not support the further development of CCGTs, believing that this finite natural resource should be reserved for use in Combined Heat and Power plants and direct in people's homes.

- ENDS -

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] PowerGen plc Environmental Performance Report 1997, Summary of Environmental Performance for 1997.

[2] Cutting CO2 - Creating Jobs: An economic analysis of policies to cut UK CO2 emissions by 20% or more. A study for FOE by Energy for Sustainable Development Ltd,June 1998. Available on request.

[3] PowerGen plc Annual Report 1998.

[4] Based on 1995 figures for total UK CO2 emissions, the latest available. Note the percentage is probably slightly higher, as 1997 UK CO2 emissions are likely to have been lower than 1995 emissions.

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