Billy One Mate Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 This posting was put in another thread and as it was so intresting I thought it deserved its own. You're all worrying about absolutely nothing. It's mostly good news Manx News - Archived Item Onchan MHK still concerned over payments to MEA Wed 4th Jun 2003 Listen to Audio Clip Onchan MHK, Peter Karran, is still not satisfied with the answers to his questions over how the MEA will repay its £185 million bond, and will be placing further questions to the Department of Trade and Industry. The DTI minister, Alex Downie, says Mr Karran has got his sums wrong, and that the way the bond is being financed has enabled significant investment in the power infrastructure without forcing prices up. Mr Karran disagrees, and believes there needs to be greater scrutiny of the way the MEA is planning to cover the costs. He says paying just the interest at the moment and putting off repaying the final amount until after the term of the loan is only going to lead to greater problems in the future. Manx News - Archived Item DTI Minister defends MEA bond arrangement Mon 2nd Jun 2003 Industry minister, Alex Downie, is defending the method of funding the Island's power infrastructure. The Manx Electricity Authority took out a bond, effectively a loan from the Government, of £185 million to introduce natural gas, build the new power station, bring the inter-connector from the United Kingdom and invest in renewable technologies. But the payment scheme has been the subject of several questions from Onchan member, Peter Karran, who claimed the cost of repaying the loan would mean prices going up sharply for consumers. Mr Downie is dismissing the claims, saying Mr Karran has "got his sums wrong", and that the investment has made crucial developments possible and has been responsible for bringing prices down. He says repayment of the bond will probably be made at the end of its term, 30 years away, by a re-financing deal. Manx News - Archived Item DTI Minister says undersea cable represented excellent value for money Tue 13th May 2003 Listen to Audio Clip The Minister for Trade and Industry says he believes the purchase of the undersea cable link to the UK by the Isle of Man Government represented "excellent value for money". Alex Downie was speaking in the Keys this morning in reply to a question from Onchan MHK, Peter Karran, who had tabled a series of questions regarding the Manx Electricity Authority's cable and the Manx government's involvement with it. Mr Downie said it was a complex issue which wasn't well suited to discussing at Key's Questions but he did offer to attempt to unravel part of Mr Karran's concerns regarding the purchase by the MEA of a 50% share of the cable company from National Grid (Isle of Man) Ltd. Manx News - Archived Item More from MEA Sun 9th Feb 2003 The Chief Executive of the Manx Electricity Authority, Mike Proffitt, says the Gas and Electricity Bill is all about enabling the MEA to make maximum use of its assets for its stakeholders, from the Treasury to consumers. The authority has invested a huge sum of money in securing the future stability of the Island's electricity supply, and as a consequence of this they now have the capacity to do other things, and this includes using their fibre optic cable network, in particular the one which was laid along the seabed between the Island and Blackpool. Gas and Electricity Bill promoted by DTI Sun 9th Feb 2003 Listen to Audio Clip The Gas and Electricity Bill which is currently being promoted by the Department of Trade and Industry, could map out the future for more than just the two supply industries on the Island. The Bill will enable the Manx Electricity Authority to supply gas as both a wholesaler, and directly to consumers, along with the laying of pipes as required, and it will also enable them to provide and maintain telecommunication services via their fibre optic cable, which was incorporated in the underwater cable which links the Island to the UK. Trade and Industry Minister, Alex Downie says Manx Gas will have two options to consider for it's future operation under the new Bill, either being supplied through the MEA, or continuing to bring LPG into the Island by ship. Mr Downie says the immediate priority for the DTI and the MEA is to get the gas ashore and the power station up and running, but in the longer term he wants to make sure there is the possibility for the Authority to broaden the gas network out into the Isle of Man, so that there can be increased choice for the consumer with regard to buying their fuel Manx News - Archived Item MEA Windfarm plans progress Tue 23rd Apr 2002 Listen to Audio Clip Plans to build a wind farm in the Isle of Man are taking a step forward. The Manx Electricity Authority is working closely with authorities on the subject, including the Manager of PB Power, Paul Van Lieshout, to look at potential sites and the financial viability of such a project in the Island. The MEA has talked of a wind farm costing £10 million. Mr Lieshout believes the Isle of Man would be a good location. Manx News - Archived Item MEA prepares to sign gas pipeline contract Tue 23rd Apr 2002 It's a big day for the Manx Electricity Authority. Around lunchtime the company will be signing the connection agreement which will enable it to bring natural gas to the Isle of Man from a pipeline linking Scotland and the Irish Republic. MEA Chief Executive Mike Profitt says it's good news for everybody. hurrah! Manx News - Archived Item Wind generation expert visits Island Wed 17th Apr 2002 An expert in wind generation has been in discussions with the MEA this morning, on their £10 million proposals to bring renewable energy to the Island. Paul Van Lees-Howt is from PB Power, and is manager for Wind Power and Developing Technologies Group. This evening, at the Post Graduate Medical Centre he will address a combined meeting of the Manx Engineering Society and the Manx Energy and Natural Resources Society. The meeting starts at 7:30pm and is open to all. Manx News - Archived Item New supplier of gas is possible Sun 17th Mar 2002 The Minister for Trade and Industry says if Manx Gas does not take up the challenge of distributing natural gas, there may be an opportunity for a new gas supplier on the Island. Alex Downie has been speaking about the Gas Supply Bill - currently out to consultation - which will allow the Manx Electricity Authority to build gas transmission mains and distribution systems. The Bill also allows for the MEA to sell the gas it is bringing over for its power station to any wholesaler and even to pass it on directly to consumers. Mr Downie says opening up the gas market will benefit the consumer, and although he is not ruling out the existing gas supplier as the provider of new services, he suggests there may now be an opening for another firm: Alex Downie The draft Bill is available from the DTI, but anyone wishing to comment on its contents only has ten days in which to submit their opinion to the Department. Manx News - Archived Item Enron job losses Mon 10th Dec 2001 The Energy company Enron has cut over a 1,000 jobs at its London headquarters. 300 staff are being kept on to help administrators wind down the company. The massive US firm is expected to file for bankruptcy next week. There is no official word on whether the local offshoot of Enron, NEPCO, who are building the new Pulrose Power Station, is affected. MEA Chief Executive Mike Proffitt has rebutted suggestions that some workers have already been laid off. Mr Proffit repeated his assurances that the contract would be finished on time with no loss to local companies. Manx News - Archived Item Power station future secure? Mon 3rd Dec 2001 The Power Station building site at Pulrose has been closed down by administrators. At the same time the MEA's underwater power cable to Blackpool is out of commission for the time being, as a direct result of the problems of Enron. Details about the interruption of the power cable were given out this morning. A statement from the MEA says that "the trading relationship between the MEA and Enron is at an end and the cable is inactive for a few days while certain detailed work is being done on the meters in Blackpool. The MEA will be trading on the cable as soon as the work is completed". As far as the construction site at Pulrose is concerned, it was closed down on Saturday on the orders of the administrators PriceWaterHouse Coopers. The project is being done by NEPCO whose parent company, ENRON, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States. Half a dozen NEPCO employees are understood to have been laid off. Jocelyn Errington of the Employers Federation has been keeping a close watch on the situation. The MEA's Chief Executive Mike Profitt and their Director, Corporate Services Clive Wilcox, are with the administrators currently and are due to give furthers details on the situation as soon as that meeting ends. Manx News - Archived Item MEA £10 000 000 Windfarm Project on hold Tue 27th Nov 2001 The Manx Electricty Authorities ambitious ten million pound windfarm project is on hold until the new gas fired power station at Pulrose is brought online. The cash was earmarked when the MEA announced its major funding programme, the majority of which is for the new power station. A suitable site on the Island has been identified that would provide enough wind for the farms turbines. This is thought to be on the Round Table Road in Rushen, just below South Barrule. It would of course be subject to the usual inquiries before any progress on the ground could be made. But all things being equal and the necessary approvals being granted, it is estimated that the project could start in the Spring or Summer of next year, with the windfarm online a year later. Yesterday it was announced that an enormous windfarm was proposed to be built on the Scottish Island of Lewis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 And another: Manx News - Archived ItemGovernment must allow inspection of capital projects Wed 7th Aug 2002 The Government must allow independent inspection of its major capital projects in order to prevent wasteful overspending of public money, says Onchan MHK Peter Karran. Mr Karran has written to the Chief Minister asking for him to back a proposal that the United Kingdom's National Audit Office be brought in to inspect the costs of four major schemes - the new hospital, the incinerator, the Electricity Authority's spending programme and the IRIS scheme. He says there needs to be greater accountability for the spending of public money, and the escalating costs of major projects, and he believes the NAO has a track record in saving money for commonwealth countries. According to Mr Karran, the Island has to control costs, and needs an external body to show it how: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FCMR Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 One of thye best postings ever, well done Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy One Mate Posted July 14, 2005 Author Share Posted July 14, 2005 Simon keep it going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckett Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 What's the low down? Can't be arsed reading all of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 (I don't know what's going on with the quotes - I've tried for ages to fix them! BAH!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 That makes remarkable reading. Thanks both. I have never been entirely sure of my own feelings toward Peter Karran but that post shows that he really was acting in our best interests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy One Mate Posted July 14, 2005 Author Share Posted July 14, 2005 You Wally Obs I hope you are joking Simon has just pasted them from Archive News Sites such as MRadio. Beckett I know its a long post but well worth the effort. Summary just for you. They all f---d up and Peter Karran told them they were a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyconcrete Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 Peter Karran should run around Tynwald shouting "I Told You So" and then give Alex Downie a slap across the chops and say "Your arse is mine Downie, mine!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy One Mate Posted July 14, 2005 Author Share Posted July 14, 2005 fell off the seat still cant stop laughing I think I will even visit the public gallery during that sitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 You Wally Obs I hope you are joking......<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Errr.... nope... I went through each paragraph and re-did the quotes and... ermmm... gave up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy One Mate Posted July 14, 2005 Author Share Posted July 14, 2005 You star Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 It should work!! Pfffft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FCMR Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 Lets see how good Manx Radios Manninline is, Ive just copied slims post and sent it to the Mannin line together with a letter, Stu Peters has many a time said that they have nothing to talk about on the Mannin line on this very forum. Stu its been faxed under a real name to the station do the bizz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 Just spent ages trying to work out why the quotes wont parse correctly and, like Obs, failed to discover why. I've replaced them all with code tags as that is a similar sort of formatting and makes things a ton clearer. Hope it helps. Will try and get the quotes working later, it's bugging me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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