Cable Link

All across the world countries are harnessing environmentally friendly energy in the way that best suits their climate and geography. Wind farms in Wales and the Netherlands, hydro-electric in France and solar power in Spain.

 

Though we aren’t yet capitalising on our own natural resources, with tidal turbines, we are still able to utilise renewable energy as part of our ‘energy mix’. Guernsey Electricity’s cable link with France provides us with a means to generate electricity from a variety of very low carbon-producing sources including hydro-electric power.

 

With fossil fuels such as oil and gas, large quantities of carbon dioxide are released when they are burnt to produce energy. Electricity, however, has the potential to be generated from sources that don’t produce any greenhouse gases, making it the fuel of the future.

 

The island began importing electricity in 2001 and Defra statistics in 2008 showed that it had reduced electricity’s carbon emissions by 70%. (See States Briefing Paper on Carbon Emissions for full details).

 

However, the company is mandated to provide power from the cheapest source which means that carbon emissions do fluctuate depending on the amount of on-island generation taking place. Guernsey Electricity believe it is essential to strike the right balance between economic and environmental performance and would welcome greater scope to favour imports for environmental reasons.