Britain's Channel Islands are close to finalizing deals to establish large-scale renewable energy plants, which could supply a significant portion of Britain's energy needs.
Channel Islands Jersey and Guernsey along with Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man have signed a deal to cooperate on exploiting the wind and marine resources in and around the islands and in the Irish Sea, ITV Channel TV reported.
The proposed projects would utilize both the region's winds and strong maritime currents. Tidal currents around the Channel Islands in the English Channel near the coast of France are some of the strongest in the world. Work on technology which utilize the energy contained in those ties to generate electricity is now at an advanced stage. The Channel Islands are also similarly well positioned for the development of wind and wave energy plants.
The emphasis on renewable power sources is part of Guernsey's proposed new energy policy, which aims for 20 percent of the island's supply to come from renewable resources by 2019. Guernsey's proposed energy strategy has the objective of maintaining the security of affordable and sustainable energy supplies, using energy wisely and efficiently and conversing it where possible and reducing the environmental impacts of the island's energy consumption as part of its contribution to international initiatives.
By. Charles Kennedy, Deputy Editor OilPrice.com
Charles is a writer for Oilprice.com More