Kathryn Porter said that a new direct interconnector between France and Guernsey would be more efficient, cheaper and provide low carbon electricity at the critical grid level rather than trying to develop renewable energy at the same scale.
The island already has a cable link to France via Jersey, although it is currently being replaced after failing earlier this year, with most electricity in the interim being generated at the power station.
Guernsey Electricity has said that a second direct connection would further reduce the island’s dependence on fossil fuels and provide supply resilience for the imported electricity.
‘Building an interconnector with France should be the top priority for Guernsey and its new energy policy.
‘It’s more efficient, it’s cheaper and the electricity from France is already low carbon. The electricity system in France is structurally low carbon because it’s dominated by nuclear and hydro,’ said Ms Porter of Watt-Logic.
‘So, as an alternative to building a lot of renewables on the island, it will be just more efficient and cost-effective.’
Considering the potential for developing grid-scale renewables, she said: ‘If you tried to replace oil-fired generation that you currently have with renewables and other low carbon sources of generation, you create this whole problem with intermittency.
‘So you’d have to restructure the entire electricity system to be able to do it and it would be expensive. So, it’s not impossible to do. But the question is why do you need to do it when you could just import low-carbon electricity from France?
‘Absolutely invest in renewables, but don’t put grid-scale renewables in Guernsey. Invest in grid-scale renewables in France or elsewhere on the Continent because it’s an interconnected market.’
Domestic renewable microgeneration should though be ‘strongly incentivised’ – with 50% of households heating their houses with oil and another 10% with gas.
‘If you accept the liquid fuel infrastructure isn’t going to live for ever and it is going to need to be replaced over the next decade or so, then of course you could upgrade that existing infrastructure and stick with oil and gas.
‘But that’s not very consistent with climate ambitions, so it provides an opportunity to find more sustainable ways of space and water heating.’
Ms Porter, who addressed the Guernsey Institute of Directors’ annual convention held at Beau Sejour, highlighted the need for building better energy efficiency and how technology and new business models could make a difference.
New solar technology could be integrated into windows that cut energy costs by 20 to 30%, alongside traditional solar panels and heat pumps.
Infrastructure for electric vehicles should be developed by, for example, building canopies over car parks with solar panels that power vehicle charging points.
‘There are new types of business models emerging in this space where companies are providing services to people,’ she added. ‘So in the same way that nobody buys phone calls any more, their phone is bundled with a wider media package. You could look at energy the same way.
‘You could have providers who will provide you with a new more sustainable heating system, retro-fit your house with efficiency measures, install some microgeneration and storage, optimise your load – not run your heating at peak hours of the day and so on – and deliver that as a service.’
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