Archived press release

Energy review must pave way for clean and safe energy

29 November 2005

The Government's Energy Review, to be announced later today (Tuesday), must pave the way for clean, safe alternatives to meet Britain's energy needs, rather than rubber stamp a new generation of nuclear power stations, Friends of the Earth said today. The environmental campaign group said that a comprehensive programme to reduce electricity waste, increase renewable energy-use and use fossil fuels more efficiently can ensure that the UK meets its targets for cutting greenhouse gases while maintaining fuel security.

Friends of the Earth is urgently seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister to put forward a range of alternatives that, if implemented, would massively reduce carbon dioxide levels and reduce electricity waste. The environmental group fears that the Prime Minister has fallen for a charm offensive from the wealthy nuclear lobby, and that he has made his mind up even before the Energy Review has begun.

Friends of the Earth's director Tony Juniper said:

"The UK can meet its targets for tackling climate change and maintain fuel security by using clean, safe alternatives that are already available. But these have so far been underplayed by the Prime Minister who has fallen for the nuclear industry's slick PR campaign. The Government's Energy Review must cut through this spin, promote the clean, safe measures we know will meet our energy needs and show that nuclear power is unnecessary, as well as unsafe and uneconomic."

"The UK could be a world leader in developing a low-carbon, nuclear-free economy. The Energy Review must deliver a sustainable energy plan for the future. Investing in energy efficiency, renewable energy and cleaner use of fossil fuels could achieve this. Will the Government seize the opportunity, or has it already fallen for the latest nuclear con?"

Cost-effective measures that the Government has underplayed include (see below for details):

• A programme to replace inefficient light bulbs with new super-efficient LED or compact fluorescent light bulbs;
• Introducing new standards to ensure appliances waste less electricity on stand-by;
• Promoting more efficient electric motors in industry;
• Encouraging households to generate their own electricity through small gas-fired boilers, solar panels and micro turbines;
• Building off-shore lagoons to harness the power of the tides;
• Further developing the potential to generate electricity from the waste heat given off by industrial plants, boilers in offices and other heat sources.

Energy review briefing

The Prime Minister is expected to announce a Government Energy Review on Tuesday 29 November.

The review is expected to set out a long-term strategic vision for UK energy policy including environmental issues, security of supply, competitiveness and social goals. It is expected to largely focus on electricity production to 2020 and beyond rather than looking at energy for heating or transport. It will consider whether or not to build a new generation of electricity producing nuclear power stations. A separate nuclear briefing is also available from Friends of the Earth.

Friends of the Earth believes that the Energy Review provides a huge opportunity for the Government to realise the massive potential of the UK's renewable energy resource and dramatically improve the efficiency of our use of energy, including fossil fuels. This would cut UK dependency on fossil fuels and help the UK cope with price fluctuations.

The environmental campaign group also believes that the UK can meet its climate change targets and maintain energy security without nuclear power. We have highlighted six, out of many, cost-effective ways - which the Government has underplayed - to massively reduce electricity consumption, generate electricity from new renewable sources and use fossil fuel more efficiently. Information on these is shown on the table below.

In addition the Government should also:

• Use the massive potential of on-shore and off-shore wind energy. Up to 70 terra-watt hours could be produced from wind by 2020 (17 per cent of current electricity production.)
• Use cleaner technologies to produce electricity from gas and coal. Upgraded, more efficient power plants, burning coal and biomass, could halve carbon dioxide output while supplying the same amount of electricity, whereas new advanced gas plants could be ten per cent more efficient. Gas produces less carbon dioxide per unit of electricity, than coal.

In short these and other measures can reduce UK emissions of carbon dioxide from electricity production by more than 60 per cent by 2020, and reduce the amount of fossil fuels used to make electricity by around 40 per cent, at the same time as closing down all but one of the UK's nuclear power stations. Beyond 2020 there is huge further potential for energy saving and for renewable power generation.

Friends of the Earth is inviting the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to discuss these solutions, amongst many others for a cleaner and safer future.

Friends of the Earth is also calling for a new law to make the Government legally responsible for cutting carbon dioxide emissions by three per cent each year. See www.thebigask.com

New options for saving or generating electricity- and their potential in 2020

* about 400 Twh

** as in Westinghouse's AP1000. Nb. comparing the power and output of electricity generators is difficult because some, e.g. nuclear, generate at an invariable rate while others, e.g. micro-gas boilers, generate different amounts at different times.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust