From Jason Elliott
Friday, 9 October 2009

In the light of today's announcement by the energy regulator that energy prices are likely to rise by up to 60% in the next few years as we have to foot the bill of massive infrastructure investment, surely now is the time that we put some serious effort into harnessing the water energy in this valley?

Much of the industrial revolution centred in the Pennines and used the abundant natural power cascading down our hillsides, yet we seem to have been bamboozled by central government and large corporations for many years into believing that this source of local energy is somehow no good any longer.

Hmmm... Maybe it's my imagination (as a soft Southerner), but it appears that rain is increasing so therefore does it not follow that the viability of water power should do so too?

There have been many instances of the people of Hebden Bridge joining forces to get things done, most recently the massive effort to get the Town Hall building into community hands, so surely it is not beyond the realms of possibility that something similar could be done to address our future energy needs in this valley?

From Tony Campbell
Friday, 9 October 2009

Re: Blackshaw Head environmental Action Team

Last saturday (3rd Oct) I was lucky enough to take part in the 'Solving Global Issues at a Local Level' evernt at the New Delight Blackshaw Head. i was there as exhibitor.

I wanted to say thank you very much for the opportunity, it was a greea afternoon, lovely surroundings, friendly people and from a business perspective, well the timing for me could not have been better as we were launching a brand new efficient heating solution to the UK, it proved very fruitful.

It is great to see local people not only wanting to reduce energy costs but be open and welcoming to technology and be genuinely interesting in making climate change.

I too learned from Saturday, I was unaware of the sizable Hydropower projects being sought along the Colden.What a great idea! It seems the Hebden Community are again the forward thinking pioneers, lets hope your neighbours follow!

Again, thank you very much for the opportunity, and hope to take part again in the furture,. If their are similar neighbouring groups please get in touch, I would also like very much to offer our services.

More info

From Graham Barker
Friday, 9 October 2009

By coincidence this news item - about a proposed small-scale hydro-electric scheme for the River Ryburn - was in Thursday's Courier.

It's always struck me that for an island surrounded by sea, stuffed with rivers and with an historical debt to water power, we're idiots for not exploring its green energy potential to the full. The Ryburn scheme looks expensive - £150,000 to supply only 15 houses - but hydro-electric ought to be a much better way to go than wind power. Calderdale should be ideal for trial generation projects, because the distances between plant and consumers can be quite short.

From Howard B
Saturday, 17 October 2009

Unfortunately, there is a possibility that the future will out the shortcomings in investing in wind power so massively. If all the plans come off, with wind farms 150 miles offshore, with massive cost, etc etc. it will generate one sixth of what comes out of Drax.

By comparison, water is thick, turgid stuff, with a more consistent delivery of greater power. And if the wind don't blow, the rivers still flow and the tide still ebbs and flows.