"HK Electric submitted today (17 June 2014) its response to the public consultation on future fuel mix, calling on the Government to adopt option 2 for increasing local gas generation as the blueprint for Hong Kong's future fuel mix for electricity generation.

Having considered the costs and benefits of the two options in terms of the Government's four energy policy objectives – "safety", "reliability", "environmental performance" and "affordability" - HK Electric is of the view that there is no case for a choice of option 1, as it will endanger Hong Kong’s supply of safe and reliable electricity, increase emissions, with tariff impact much more significant than that under option 2.

Two options on future fuel mix were proposed by the Government to further improve air quality and combat climate change for a 3-month public consultation commencing 19 March 2014. Option 1 calls for the purchase of 30% of total electricity demand from China Southern Power Grid Co. Ltd. (CSG) while option 2 is for increasing local gas generation to 60% of total electricity demand..." Read more...

Full Submission (PDF Format : 2,965KB)
Executive Summary (PDF Format : 1,720KB)

See also Lamma-zine story, June 9.

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Hong Kong's first power plant was at Wing Fung Street in Wanchai. I can just imagine the black smoke that belched from that installation. In 1922 power generation was switched to North Point - now City Gardens. To push power generation further from the City, a new power plant was established in Ap Lei Chau in 1968 - now South Horizons. Guess who made a fortune on each switch of land use?

So now we have the Lamma Power Plant sitting on a piece of real estate that could be used as the next great housing project. Hong Kong Electric can say what it wants, but its master may have other ideas. I see the long game here as pushing electric production to the Mainland and opening up Lamma in the same way as Ap Lei Chau was opened up after the closure of its power plant. Of course, as in all good media campaigns, the impetus must come from The People.