Renewal Energy Hopes

The Channel Islands could become net exporters of renewable energy in the next decade. Both Guernsey and Jersey have invested in sea bed cable infrastructure over the past 15 years to facilitate the import of nuclear produced electricity from France. This could in turn be used to export surplus electricity to the UK and the rest of Europe.

Around Alderney and Guernsey are some of the powerful tides in the world and Guernsey was recently engaged in talks with Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister, an initiative that will be part of an all islands approach. Charles Hendry, the UK Energy Minister was quoted recently as saying that the best resources for generating tidal power lay in waters off the Channel Islands. This will become increasingly important as oil reserves decline and the balance of power shifts from the Middle East. However the UK currently has no cable link to France and a link from Flamanville is receiving serious consideration.

The Channel Islands have an enviable reputation over the centuries for being highly adaptable to change and in the same way that financial services became the mainstay of the economy in the 1980s, energy export may become the lifeblood of the islands in the mid 21st century.