the climate brief Accurate Reporting of Climate Science

It feels a bit like it's 2011 again. Exchanging different predictions for how much moving to a greener energy system might be going to cost British consumers was all the rage about eighteen months ago. Today, reports in the right wing press claim Britain's green energy "folly" will cost consumers £600 a year by 2020. 

The  Mail and  Telegraph picked up on a press statement from thinktank  Civitas arguing that green energy subsidies will cost every household £600 per annum - or £16 billion in total - by 2020. The figure is based on  calculation by the chief executive of the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF), Dr John Constable. 

How has the figure been created, and how does it compare to DECC's? 

REF has calculated the figure of £16 billion by adding up the following cost estimates for 2020:

• cost of subsidising renewables through the the government's main
• mechanism the  Renewables Obligation (RO) - £8 billion or £307 per household;
• cost of upgrading and maintaining the power network, and managing the variable supply of power from wind - £5 billion, or £192 per household;
• cost of the Carbon Price Floor - £1 billion, or £38 per household. 

Burning biomass - often from wood - is a key pillar of the government's renewable energy strategy, but there are questions over whether more biomass means higher emissions. A joint government and industry initiative launched yesterday sets out to clarify biomass's role in the UK's drive to meet its energy needs while cutting carbon. 

The initiative is coordinated by  Carbon Connect which brings together MPs, peers and industry. The group's report will aim to outline "the role of renewables and how they tie into security of supply", according to former energy minister and Carbon Connect co-chair Charles Hendry. Here's a few key issues it will need to address.

Biomass emissions controversy

The government must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by  80 per cent by 2050 by law.  

It's hard to know whether biomass will help the UK cut carbon, however. Biomass generation  can be carbon negative, in theory. But it depends on what kind of biomass is used and where it comes from. 

The European Commission is investigating oil companies for possible Libor-like offences related to price reporting in the transport petrol market. Which is fine if you know what any of this stuff means. For those who don't, here's a guide to what's going on, and what could happen next.

Who's involved

The  FT  broke the story on Monday that the European Commission has raided the offices of oil companies BP, Shell and Statoil for misreporting petrol prices to Platts, an information provider which reports the 'benchmark price' for commodities like petrol - and whose offices were also raided.

Platts publishes information on commodity market such as food, energy and metals. It provides benchmark prices on these commodities, which underpin trading activity and can ultimately affect prices consumers pay on goods like petrol at the pump.