Renew On Line (UK) 30

Extracts from the March-April 2001 edition of Renew
These extracts only represent about 25% of it

UK Election - policies

With a national election imminent, the main parties have been making their policies on renewables and energy generally clearer. The Conservatives have come out in favour of obtaining 30% of the UK's electricity from renewables by 2030, but have also apparently seen fit to back a rethink on nuclear power. Trade and Industry spokesman David Heathcoat-Amory has, it seems, indicated that the construction of up to eight new generation pressurised water reactors, as used at Sizewell B, should be considered. The Conservatives have also said that they will abolish the Climate Change Levy, which they feel will be ineffective. They want tradable permits instead.

Labour can to some extent rest on its laurels, having allocated £89m to offshore wind and energy crops and set up the Renewables Obligation requiring energy supplies to obtain 10% of their power from renewables by 2010. However, their ‘hands-off’ market-led approach is a little worrying. Anna Walker, a top DTI energy official noted at the Renewable Summit last Oct., ‘We do believe government needs to set a framework programme, but it should let the market take the decisions.’

Also worryingly, there have been hints at a rethink on nuclear, although the official position remains that it is for the market, rather than the government, to decide whether new nuclear capacity should be built. However there are rumours that consideration might be given to new plutonium burning plants in Cumbria & Scotland- to use up BNFL’s plutonium mountain.

With energy issues now fairly high up the political agenda, especially in relation to transport, we can expect further adjustments, as well as contributions from the other parties.