Home

You need the latest Adobe Flash Player and Javascript to view this content.

Welcome to the website for the Department of Energy and Climate Change

To view this content you need JavaScript enabled in your browser.Alternatively, visit our News Pages.

Latest Developments

UK pledges support for Chernobyl safety - 19 April 2011

The United Kingdom today joined international partners in contributing to a fund to ensure the permanent safety of the site of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Delegations from around the world were in Kiev to mark the 25th anniversary of the world’s most severe nuclear disaster.

As part of the G8’s commitment to the safety and stabilisation of the Chernobyl site, the UK has made contributions totalling £28.5m in this donor pledging round to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)-managed international funds.

This contribution, which is in addition to UK contributions in previous pledging rounds of over €81M, will go towards the construction of a steel arch over the damaged Reactor 4 and a facility to safely and securely store the spent nuclear fuel from Reactors 1–3.

Energy Minister Charles Hendry said: “The funding we are pledging today will go some way to international efforts to ensure the permanent safety and stability of the Chernobyl site, to prevent it from posing any further hazard to health and the environment.”

Press release
DECC's Chernobyl web page
More detail on pledges to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund

DECC lays foundations for Smart Meters rollout - 30 March 2011

A crucial step in delivering the UK’s energy security and low carbon future was taken today with the publication of the Government’s plans for the national rollout of smart meters.

Alongside the Government’s response to the Smart Meters Prospectus consultation, DECC has set out the overall strategy and timetable for the installation of 53 million smart meters in 30 million homes and businesses across Great Britain, estimated to have a net benefit to the nation of £7.3 billion over the next twenty years.

Smart meters will deliver a range of benefits to consumers, energy suppliers and networks providing real time information on energy consumption to help control energy use, save money and reduce emissions.

Speaking ahead of his visit today to a technology expo at the SmartLIFE training centre in Cambridge, Secretary of State Chris Huhne said:

"In combination with our plans to reform the electricity market and introduce the Green Deal for home and businesses, the rollout of smart meters will help us keep the lights on while reducing emissions and getting the best possible deal for the consumer."

Minister for Climate Change, Greg Barker

Greg Barker backs Brit business on US green trade mission - 28 March 2011

Beer makers, wind turbine installers and loft laggers join Climate Change Minister Greg Barker this week for the Department’s first ever green trade mission.

A total of six UK companies that are capitalising on the opportunities of the green economy will be on the 5 day visit to the US which will cover Washington D.C, Philadelphia, Charlotte (North Carolina) and Columbia (South Carolina).

As part of the trade mission, Greg Barker and the business leaders will meet with politicians, business groups, investors and regional development bodies to explore the openings for UK green business in the U.S. and the inward investment opportunities that the UK’s low carbon sector offers.

Greg Barker said:

“I am proud to be a cheerleader for Britain’s green businesses and am in America this week flying the flag for those firms that are breaking into the U.S. market."

We will be covering the 5-day visit on Twitter, Flickr and You Tube.

The 2011 Budget - 23 March 2011

The Chancellor of the Exchequer today made his Budget Statement to the House of Commons. The 2011 Budget contains measures designed to hasten the speed and scale of investment in low carbon energy projects:

Green Investment Bank

The Green Investment Bank is a crucial part of ensuring the infrastructure development needed to enable the transition to a green economy. The Budget announces that the initial capitalisation of the Bank will be £3 billion, that it will begin operation in 2012/13 and that it will have borrowing powers from 2015/16 and once the target for debt to be falling as a percentage of GDP has been met.

Carbon Price Support

A stronger, more stable carbon price is also a vital signal to energy investors. The Government is introducing a floor to the carbon price for electricity generation from April 2013. This will start at around £16 per tonne of carbon dioxide and move to a target price of £30 per tonne in 2020.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said:

“There’s a clear, long term signal to energy investors in today’s Budget. A Green Investment Bank with substantially more capital and borrowing capacity and a stronger, more stable carbon price put investment in green energy technologies at the heart of the coalition’s strategy for sustainable, balanced economic growth.”

For all the information on the 2011 Budget visit the Treasury website

Delegates at the Interfaith Seminar on Environment and Sustainability. Photo courtesy of James Gourley. All rights reserved

Lord Marland honours inter-faith commitment to environment - 22 March 2011

Pledges to a lower carbon lifestyle were hung on the historic fig tree at Lambeth Palace today during an inter-faith seminar on environment and sustainability attended by Lord Marland.

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State was joined by Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks in supporting the seminar, which follows on from the meeting of faith leaders in 2009 resulting in the landmark Lambeth Declaration in the lead-up to the UN climate talks at Copenhagen.

The pledges addressed shopping, business practice, energy suppliers and travel, and also included a commitment to an eco-friendly wedding.

Lord Marland applauded different faiths working together to find practical ways of tackling climate change at a national and community level. He said:

“Stewardship of creation, concern for the world’s poor and a responsibility to safeguard natural resources for future generations are moral and spiritual obligations found at the heart of all the major faiths. They are also at the heart of the climate change challenge.”

Delegates renewed their pledge to the Lambeth Declaration during the seminar programme.

TOKYO, Japan - This October 2008 file photo shows reactors (from R to L) No. 1
through No. 4 at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture. A hydrogen explosion
occurred at the No. 3 reactor and cooling functions failed at the No. 2 reactor on March 14, 2011, following an explosion at
the No. 1 reactor on March 12. (Kyodo). Copyright PA Photos.

Chris Huhne - Nuclear safety is number one priority

On 17 March 2011, Chris Huhne set out further detail on the UK Chief Nuclear Inspector’s report into the implications of events at Japanese nuclear reactors on existing and new plants in the UK. This came as Ministers met with representatives from the nuclear industry in London.

The Energy Secretary has asked Dr Mike Weightman for an interim report by mid May 2011 and a final report within six months. Both reports will be made public.

Chris Huhne said:

"The tragic events in Japan are still unfolding. We should not rush to judgment. It is important that we have the full facts at our disposal. I have asked the Chief Nuclear Inspector for a full report so that the implications for the UK are clear.

Safety is and will continue to be the number one priority for existing nuclear sites and for any new power stations. I want to ensure that any lessons learned from Mike Weightman’s report are applied to the UK’s new build programme."

Charles Hendry opens Centrica Langage gas-fired plant in Plymouth - 21 March 2011

Minister of State Charles Hendry has today officially opened the Centrica Langage gas station in Plymouth – the first large power station to be built in the UK in five years.

With a capacity of 895MW, the Plympton-based station is currently supplying power to around one million homes and bringing high-pressure gas into the South West peninsula for the first time, creating infrastructure that could attract business and industry to the area.

Its proximity to a national park has meant the plant was designed to be visually unobtrusive and environmentally friendly. It has the lowest emissions of any gas-fired plant in the UK.

Charles Hendy said:

"Gas-fired power stations such as Langage have a major role to play as part of the balanced energy mix we want to see for this country.

The power station marks an important milestone in advancing the UK's energy security."

Centrica Langage is a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station, which means it is able to generate electricity at two stages. The first stage is through the use of a gas-fired turbine, which creates the great deal of heat used at the second stage to convert water into steam. The steam then drives a second turbine, which generates additional electricity.

Centrica now owns and runs eight gas-fired power stations in England and Wales, with a combined output of 4.2GW. Centrica Langage has been in commercial operation since March 2010.

FITs - Greg Barker outlines proposals to protect green electricity scheme - 18 March 2011

Reduced tariffs for over-50kW solar
Increased support for farm-scale anaerobic digestion

Proposals to reduce the financial support available to larger scale solar-produced electricity have been published by the Government today as part of plans to protect financial support for homes, communities and small businesses.

Such projects could potentially soak up the subsidy that would otherwise go to smaller renewable schemes or other technologies such as wind, hydro and anaerobic digestion. Projections at the start of the scheme had shown no large scale solar under the FITs was expected until at least 2013.

Today’s consultation also covers proposals to provide added support to farm-scale anaerobic digestion given the disappointing uptake of such technologies to date.

Greg Barker, Climate Change Minister said:

"Our cash for green electricity scheme is a great way to reward homes, communities and small businesses that produce their own renewable power.

I’m committed to an ambitious roll out of microgeneration technologies as part of the Coalition’s green vision of a much more decentralised energy economy."

Green Deal call for evidence launched - 16 March 2011

The Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes (EEPH) has issued a Call for Evidence, on behalf of DECC, to inform a review of the costs and benefits associated with a wide range of energy efficiency measures.

The Green Deal will help to transform the energy efficiency of British properties, offering consumers improvements to their homes and businesses at no upfront cost.

At the heart of the Government’s proposals is the “Green Deal plan”, an innovative financing mechanism which allows consumers to pay for measures through savings on their energy bills.

Managed by the EEPH, the Call for Evidence will gather information about measures, including what they cost to install and how they perform. It covers a range of measures, from insulation and heating technologies to lighting and Microgeneration – looking at costs and performance individually and when combined with other measures.

Stakeholders are asked to submit their evidence by 4 April 2011.

Chris Huhne Secretary of State for Energy and Clilmate Change

Chris Huhne calls for 30% EU Emissions cut - 14 March 2011

The Secretary of State has called for a 30% EU emissions cut by 2020. Writing to the Guardian, Chris Huhne and 6 other European environment ministers have asked for tougher climate targets to ensure that emissions are reduced by 80% by 2050. Ministers are meeting in Brussels today for the EU Environment Council.

In the letter, Chris Huhne and his fellow signatories write,

"Now is the right time to discuss the most cost-effective route to achieving our 2050 goals, maximising growth, jobs and prosperity throughout Europe. We are not starting from scratch; the EU has already cut emissions by 17% from 1990 levels by 2009.

"The Commission’s roadmap demonstrates both that the current 20% target is not a cost-effective route to the 2050 goal, and that we already have the tools and policies to cut emissions by 25% domestically. The European Energy Efficiency Plan in particular is welcome and shows the big impact reducing energy consumption can have. The case to move to a 30% target by 2020 is now stronger as a result.

"At a time when the price of oil is soaring, putting in place an ambitious plan for Europe’s low-carbon future has wider benefits than tackling climate change. It will increase the continent’s resilience against oil price spikes and reduce its dependence on imported energy. And it will help Europe compete with emerging economies in the fast-growing markets for green goods and services."

Read the letter to the Guardian in full

World's first Renewable Heat Incentive launched to reduce emissions - 10 March 2011

£860m government scheme expected to increase green capital investment by £4.5 billion up to 2020, stimulating a new market in renewable heat;

Incentive to increase number of industrial, commercial and public sector installations by seven times to 2020

A full system of RHI payments will be available to households from October 2012

In the interim, more than a quarter of the first year’s budget to be guaranteed for up to 25,000 household installations through a “RHI Premium Payment” to encourage take-up;

150,000 existing manufacturing, supply chain and installer jobs to be supported

The world’s first financial incentive of its kind to revolutionise the way heat is generated and used in buildings has been launched by Energy Secretary Chris Huhne.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will support emerging technologies and businesses in the UK, strengthening security of supply by reducing dependence on fossil fuel heating and emissions.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said:

“Renewable heat is a largely untapped resource and an important new green industry of the future.

"This incentive is the first of its kind in the world. It’ll help the UK shift away from fossil fuel, reducing carbon emissions and encouraging innovation, jobs and growth in new advanced technologies.”