UK Prime Minister Continues Commitment to Green Energy

As part of EU-wide action to increase the use of renewable energy, the UK is committed to generating 15% of energy from green sources by 2020.  At an International Clean Energy Conference in London, the UK Coalition Prime Minister David Cameron said the growth in renewables in the UK was not just good for the environment, but “good business” too.

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The Prime Minister stressed fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas – including shale gas – and carbon capture and storage were all going to have a role to play in the nation’s energy mix – as is nuclear. But he added: “I passionately believe the rapid growth of renewable energy is vital to our future.” In a move to reassure companies which have been hit by policy uncertainty – embodied by the cuts to solar subsidies for households – he promised: “When we have made a commitment to a project we will always honour it in full.”

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The Prime Minister also  announced a new industry partnership to make the most of the North Sea’s renewable resources, such as offshore wind. And he announced £350m of new investment in UK renewables, representing 800 jobs, including a £300m biomass project by Helius Energy at the Port of Bristol.

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The Prime Minister made the comments at an international clean energy summit in London that saw ministers gather from 23 countries around the globe. He was peaking specifically on the environment for the first time since pledging to lead “the greenest government ever”. He also said that the country needed cheaper energy because families were struggling with utility bills in the face of higher gas prices.

As one might expect, not everything in the garden is rosy. In Wales, where renewables have become a highly divisive issue amid concerns about their impact on scenery windfarm opponent Michael Williams said the technologies were viable only because they attracted massive subsidies.

But Llywelyn Rhys, deputy director of RenewableUK Cymru, which represents several hundred firms across the country, said green energy will get cheaper as the technology matures. Mr Rhys said he welcomed the Government’s support and sees the pay-outs to the sector as a premium for cleaner energy rather than a subsidy.

 

He said: “In the future, renewable energy will actually help to keep the price of our bills down because it will lessen our reliance on the need to import expensive gas from foreign parts. So by increasing the mix of energy and relying more on renewables, which after all means you don’t have to import the fuel or dig the ground, we’re not only doing good for the environment, but also the security of supply.”