GUERNSEY’S environmental credentials on energy have been questioned. In the UK, Labour has released its energy review, with six new nuclear power stations and a fivefold increase in electricity generated from wind, solar and tidal sources as its key proposals.

It also includes various energy efficient initiatives, as well as the target of government-owned properties being carbon neutral by 2012.

Guernsey Gas managing director Paul Garlick was not surprised by the UK’s positive message on nuclear power, given its dependence on natural gas, the uncertainty in that market and its commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Guernsey Gas supplies LPG, so the island did not face the same problems, he added.

Mr Garlick said everyone was waiting to hear of further developments of an energy policy for the island, which is being worked on by a Policy Council sub group.

‘LPG is a relatively clean fuel and hence we would hope that it will be promoted for its environmental advantages,’ he said.

‘However, in the past, we have been given confused signals with regard to environmental initiatives, for example, the additional charges imposed by the former States Electricity Board on customers that choose to generate their own electricity and the States of Guernsey decision to remove the Energy Saving Trust’s budget, thereby terminating its activities.’

He added the stance taken on road transport fuel duty means that LPG, being used as a substitute for petrol, does not carry the same incentives as in the UK.

Friends of the Earth Guernsey’s Anne Sandwith said that the Channel Islands had enormous potential for tidal power. Given that this method was efficient and conserved energy, it was the way to go.

She added local building regulations should be improved.

‘It seems to me there’s been new houses going up with a shameful lack of energy conservation measures, but that’s not really the fault of the developers. They want to build as cheaply as possible within the guidelines. It is something the States definitely has to tighten up on.’

She added that planning should be easier for people to install things like solar panels.

‘We should be able to do more to save energy and generate more electricity on our own.

‘One of the reasons FoE Guernsey was against the cable link was that it was a disincentive to look at other things like energy efficiency, conservation and perhaps micro-generation.’

E-Si’s managing director Paul Fletcher said the most significant thing missing in the UK energy review was a discussion of the economy and global stability.

‘The economy at the moment is oil based. If we want to secure our lifestyle, we have got to take steps to go beyond anything in the review,’ he said.

Regardless of what the British Government was doing, every community should act, he said.

‘The only safe way to move forward is to move to a solar, hydrogen economy, which I’ll keep pushing because it’s important.’

Some E-Si clients wanted to build completely sustainable properties.

These could be achieved by using such products as PV cells, insulation and micro-generation wind turbines as well as energy-efficient ways of producing heating, such as ground source heat pumps.

‘What you don’t need is nuclear power stations.’

He added that an energy policy was fundamental, whether in the UK or here.

‘How you enter that is for the politicians to decide, but from the private sector, the less interference from government, the better – but there are lots of ways of creating things that encourage something to happen.’

They could include relaxed planning requirements so the installation of solar panels did not need permission in certain circumstances.

Another energy-saving method would be to introduce net metering, for when micro-generation fed electricity back into the grid.