British politicians support renewables

MANCHESTER, England, 2004-07-14 Refocus Weekly

Energy officials from the three main political parties in England agree that the Renewables Obligation must be maintained as the delivery mechanism for increased generation from renewables.

“We are not in the business of re-opening or ripping up the very foundations of the renewables framework that we have put in place,” says energy minister Stephen Timms, who reaffirmed the government's position on renewables as outlined in the Energy White Paper. He also told the annual conference of the British Wind Energy Association that the review of the Obligation next year will not be a fundamental rethink of the policy and spoke of the need to maintain confidence in the mechanism.

The Shadow Minister for Energy, Laurence Robertson, stressed his party's support for the current legislation on increasing the share of green power, committing the Conservative party to continuation of the Renewables Obligation and that “wind will play a significant role in our future energy supplies.” Renewables should be part of a balanced energy policy, with equal billing to renewables and nuclear.

The energy spokesman for the Liberal Democrat party, Andrew Stunell, said his party is committed to renewables as a dominant provider in an energy-efficient portfolio.

“The news will be greeted by both the renewables industry and the financial players who are keen to invest in this growth sector, as it reduces the political risk which could threaten the future of the industry at this critical phase in its development,” says BWEA. The wind industry is “heartened by the clear recognition by of all parties that there should be a cross-party consensus to advance renewables.”

Four hundred delegates attended the conference, which released a poll that 75% of people support the expansion of wind and other renewables.

Britain is experiencing its most successful year, with 118 MW of new capacity already commissioned and another 200 MW confirmed to start before the end of this year. In the first half of last year, a total of 103 MW was commissioned.

Approval has been received for 14 new windfarms, with total capacity of 372 MW from 158 turbines, representing a 85% success rate through planning.

The government strategy requires that green power comprise 10% of national electricity by 2010, and BWEA says wind will provide 80% of that target. Currently, turbines in the UK generate 0.5% of power, necessitating a 16-fold increase in deployment and an investment of £7 billion.

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