The fame of Woking is spreading.

See the today's International Herald Tribune for an article on Woking's ability to generate power locally.

I have my doubts about man made global warming, but I think energy efficiency and reduced demand on imported fossil fuels are very good things for our country.

As a Chemical Engineer I find the technology at Woking's swimming pool especially exciting ( yes really - go round the back one day and you'll see a little exhibition explaining it all in Woking park.)

No wonder the town (we're not a city - yet despite what the Int. Herald Trib. says ) is being fought over by the Conservatives and Lib Dems ( Labour just don't seem to bother any more).

Update: This will teach me not to post before reading all the article (ie page 2):

This is the first time I've heard about the fuel cell only operating at 70% design efficiency or the under ground power station having an explosion ( though now I think about it gas powered equipment in a subterranean environment must be inherently risky.

Its disturbing that you only hear of this in the international press - I can't remember seeing it in the local papers that come through my door. Perhaps the Woking News and Mail had something on it - I don't usueflly buy it as its such a biased pro-Lib Dem paper.

its perhaps also important to note the following

"Big subsidies, including $200,000 for the fuel cell, came from the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Energy, which distributed the money as part of a program testing new energy technologies. The British government gave several million pounds in grants for solar panels."

The Lib Dems with their inherent anti Americanism may find some of that hard to swallow.