UK RE - 250,000 jobs and £70bn revenue 02/07/2009 - The UK could benefit from 250,000 jobs and up to £70bn in revenue from offshore wind and wave technologies by 2050, according to a study by the Carbon Trust. This potential will only be realised, however, if the government gives clear signals to industry, so that investors know where to put their money, rather than leaving new technologies to face the market alone. The Carbon Trust, a government-backed agency that studies ways to promote low-carbon technologies, carried out economic analyses in six areas of low-carbon industry including offshore wind, wave, solid-state lighting and micro combined heat and power. Click here for full story	British Gas to create 2,600 green jobs 02/07/2009 - British Gas today promised to create 2,600 green jobs over the next three years by rolling out "smart meters" and installing wind turbines on peoples' homes. The move should help ministers meet targets of cutting carbon emissions through lower use of power, especially that generated by gas or other fossil fuels. About 1,700 of the recruits will be new to the industry, while 900 are expected to be brought in from rival metering organisations in time for a government-backed roll-out programme due to start in 2012. Earlier this year the company unveiled plans to take on an additional 1,500 staff to work in the clean technology sector. Click here for full story
Scotland’s Renewable Action Plan 02/07/2009 - An action plan to drive the development of renewable energy and capitalise on Scotland's natural resources to derive maximum economic benefit was published today (1 July). Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth John Swinney said that developing the right renewables infrastructure and boosting skills will help Scotland to meet its climate change targets. The Renewables Action Plan identifies collective actions by government, its agencies and partners, to ensure at least a fifth of Scotland's energy comes from renewables by 2020. Click here for full story	“Banks hold back offshore success” 02/07/2009 - The Great Yarmouth offshore services firm, Seajacks UK, is urging money lenders to loosen their grip on funds so it can invest in further growth following a new $70 million plus contract. The deal for windfarm installation in the Irish Sea is the the group’s third major contract, taking the value of deals landed just shy of $180m (£108m). However, with only two ships currently available, expansion opportunities are limited until further funding comes in says managing director, Blair Ainslie.  Click here for full story
SSE scales down Clyde 02/07/2009 - Scottish & Southern Energy PLC said on Wednesday it was scaling down capacity by 106 megawatts at its Clyde wind farm in southern Scotland. SSE said the wind farm will have a total capacity of 350 MW, instead of 456 MW initially planned. "Nevertheless, the design of the turbines, and their on-site configuration, mean the annual output of the wind farm, expected to be over 1,000 GWh, will be unaffected," it said."The construction cost, however, will be reduced to around 500 million pounds ($822 million)." Click here for full story	From George Monbiot’s blog 02/07/2009 - Why did the government dump its green building regulations plan?........ I've asked this question before, but the mystery seems only to thicken: how in God's name does the government intend to meet its obligations under the Climate Change Act? Its programme for cutting carbon through renewable energy is way behind schedule. It is expanding airports and motorways, while bailing out the car industry, ensuring that motor emissions stay high. The EU emissions trading scheme hardly touches the industries it is meant to regulate. Full carbon capture and storage will come too late to stop new coal-burning power stations from adding greatly to the problem. Click here for full story

Senior Electrical Engineer      Glasgow	Electrical and Control Engineer      Orkney