LONDON, UK, May 25, 2007.
Britain will triple the amount of electricity it generates from renewable energy facilities by 2015, promises the country’s new white paper on energy.
“We face two big challenges: climate change and maintaining stable and affordable energy supply in an increasingly unstable world,” says industry secretary Alistair Darling. “The Energy White Paper sets out a long term framework for action to address these challenges at home and abroad.”
Greater energy efficiency and a secure low-carbon energy mix for the long-term are at the centre of the document, which includes a report on distributed generation and simplification of licensing arrangements for localised energy by the end of next year.
Legislation will be introduced to band the Renewables Obligation and provide different funding to offshore wind, wave, tidal and other emerging technologies. The cap on the amount of biomass co-firing that qualifies for RO support will also be removed, and the government will publish a biomass strategy and respond to a two-year progress report on the strategy for non-food biomass.
“With a third of our current electricity generation capacity due to close in the next 20 years, there is also a pressing need for investment in new low carbon sources,” Darling told the House of Commons. “We will work to ensure there is a market price for carbon into the long term by strengthening the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.”
“We will triple the amount of electricity we get from renewables by 2015; we want to lead in the development of carbon capture and storage; and we will consult on the significant role that new nuclear power stations could play in cutting emissions and diversifying our supply,” he adds. The proposed measures in the paper will reduce GHG emissions by 23 to 33 million tonnes by 2020, equivalent to removing all current emissions from road transport in the country.
“Every action set in train by this white paper is important and none will be easy,” he explains. “Nor can we become a low carbon economy in a single step but, if each of us acts, we can start to deliver the low-carbon economy vital to our prosperity.”
Other measures include a requirement for new electricity meters to come with a real-time display in 2008 and smart meters within 10 years, and a consultation on energy efficiency in consumer electronics. There will be a consultation to double the current obligation of energy suppliers to deliver energy efficiency measures through a new ‘Carbon Emission Reduction Target’ and a cap and trade ‘Carbon Reduction Commitment’ for large companies such as banks and supermarkets.
There will be details on the competition to build the world’s first end-to-end Carbon Capture & Storage plant that will save 90% of emissions on a 300 MW facility, and legislation to allow storage of natural gas under the seabed. There will be a three-month deadline for consent decisions on large energy projects, a new energy market information and analysis service, and a low-carbon transport innovation strategy funded by £55 million for public procurement of low carbon vehicles and R&D.
“There's a real will among consumers and businesses to become more energy efficient, tackle climate change and move the UK towards a low-carbon economy,” adds environment secretary David Miliband. “Government's role is to make it as easy as possible for them to do this.”
“To deliver energy security and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy requires urgent and ambitious action at home and abroad,” adds foreign secretary Margaret Beckett. “As the Stern report indicated, we will need a massive step change in investment to achieve this necessary transition in the time available.”
