Two Renewable Energy Companies Go Bust
October 8, 2015
By Paul Homewood
Take away the subsidies and see what happens.
“We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert”. – J Robert Oppenheimer.
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
You could also argue the same for the petro-chemical industry. North Sea oil required huge subsidies to get it off the ground. Why not renewables?
At least North Sea oil it was an investment that produced (and still is) a useful product and lots of tax revenues.
All “renewables” do is suck up subsidy and produce no useful product- except a lining for the pockets of the green scamsters.
How much tax has North Sea oil paid over the years?
I was referring more to the development stage of drilling in the North Sea. Didn’t the techniques developed in the 1960s / 70s become the industry standard, thanks to favourable financial conditions from the government?
I believe it had its opponents at the time, much like fracking has now, but the technology eventually won out.
My argument is that other forms of energy need these favourable financial conditions if we are to find alternatives.
The problem is that all the development work on solar panels is effectively going on in China. We are not developing anything.
Surely it is more sensible to wait until the Chinese get their prices down to a competitive level rather than pay inflated prices now that need 15 yrs of subsidy to be economic?
Back when I worked for the Revenue, it was a red-letter day when the 6-monthly Petroleum Revenue Tax cheque came in from BP or whoever. Someone got a 1st class train trip on the next express to London to get the cheque to the Bank of England to ensure the UK Treasury didn’t miss out on a day’s interest.This didn’t happen for any other taxpayers. Anyone who entertains the notion that north sea oil was “subsidized” needs their head examining.
Thanks for that intriguing information on the inner workings of government!
Oh ‘if only’ there could be a regular open debate spot on the main TV stations with gems such as this
There is a significant difference between tax breaks & subsidies.
http://www.pwc.co.uk/services/tax/insights/total-tax-contribution-of-the-uk-oil-gas-industry.html
It’s very silly to subsidise both oil and solar. The only reason to go with solor is to reduce CO2 – solar is more expensive. So if you are going to subsidise solar why on earth would you subsidise oil also?
Solar needs Carbon based plants that work when the sun goes down at night and even in daytime when it is cloudy. It looks like I am the only person who thought that far ahead. The Sci-Fi Religion of CO2 pollution was all people were allowed to think for 20 years.
So like Solar (and wind) the Customer pays a subsidy which the Producer Pockets.
Which part of the Oil price that is stipulated by the UK Government goes to the Oil Producers?
Would it be the Fuel duty on Fuel (Oil & Diesel)?
The VAT?
NO because they both go to the Government.
Really renewable energy operated planet Earth naturally, using a waste product (CO2) from animals to grow more plants before self-centered, skill-limited, arrogant fools decided CO2 is a dangerous pollutant.
Stupidity disguised as consensus science is EPA.
The Harrabin was waxing poetical (on national poetry day) on Radio 4 about the evils that were being done to the important “renewables” industry and the tragedy of these closures.
The fact that they got fat on subsidies and did not accrue provisions was not mentioned of course. Pity about the fate of their employees but the owners will have moved-on to their next scam.
good ,when 97% of them have gone bust i will be happy. the harrabin is an ignorant fool .when the bbc subsidies reduce i hope he is the first to go.
“two-clean-energy-firms-go-bust”- GOOD!!!
Let’s hope it’s just a start.
Simple really, renewables were getting quite a lot for very little. It was all coming from us! Why on earth should anyone subsidise an industry for doing so little to provide reliable energy? The lights will be going out all over the country because of a foolish government decision to clean our tiny amount of CO2. Only the intellectually challenged could argue that solar power could solve our problems. The sun does not shine at night when most of our electrical power id requied.