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The Energy White paper, ‘Our energy future – creating a low carbon economy’, set out the Government’s policy on renewable energy and confirmed the target that, by 2010, 10 per cent of electricity should come from renewable sources. This equates to a total of 39 terawatt hours/year (based on current forecasts of total energy production of 371–390 terawatt hours/year for 2010) and includes provision for a future increase in electricity consumption, but also for an increase in energy efficiency. The paper also includes the aspiration that, by 2020, 20 per cent of the UK’s electricity supply should be met by renewables.
One of the White Paper’s four goals is to cut the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, as recommended by the Royal Environmental Commission on Pollution, with real progress by 2020, while maintaining reliable and competitive energy supplies. The Government recognises that increasing the use of renewables can make a significant contribution to achieving this. Achieving the 10 per cent target would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 2.5 MtC per year. Reaching the 2020 aspiration would achieve a further 3–5 MtC reduction.
The White Paper encourages local planning authorities (LPAs) to promote renewables through the planning system:
Renewable energy will also play an important part in reducing carbon dioxide emissions while also strengthening energy security and improving our industrial competitiveness as we develop cleaner technologies, products and processes.
The White Paper also recognises the decline of the UK’s indigenous energy supplies. The UK already imports nearly 50 per cent of the coal it uses. By around 2006, the UK will also be a net importer of gas, and by around 2010 of oil. By 2020, we could be dependent on imported energy for three-quarters of our total primary energy needs. As the UK moves from being a net energy exporter to being once again a net energy importer, it may become potentially more vulnerable to price fluctuations and interruptions to supply caused by regulatory failures, political instability or conflict in other parts of the world:
The best way of maintaining energy reliability will be through energy diversity. We need many sources of energy, many suppliers and many supply routes. Renewables and smaller-scale, distributed energy sources – eg micro-combined heat and power (CHP) and fuel cells – will help us avoid over-dependence on imports and can make us less vulnerable to security threats.
