Archived press release

Offshore wind plans welcomed - but Government renewable strategy needs shake-up

4 June 2008

The Crown Estate's decision to earmark 11 sites for offshore wind development has been welcomed by Friends of the Earth as a significant step forward in developing a cleaner future.

The environmental campaign group urged the Government to do more to harness the potential of renewable energy for creating jobs and boosting the economy, including ending attempts to water down EU renewable energy targets and giving financial incentives to homes, businesses and communities to install green energy systems, such as solar panels

Friends of the Earth's energy campaigner, Nick Rau, said:

"This is a significant step forward in developing a cleaner future. The UK has vast experience in offshore engineering and an abundance of wind and wave power that could be harnessed to make us a world leader in green energy.

"The Government must urgently review its renewable energy strategy. Its green credentials continue to be undermined by its attempts to water down EU plans to boost green energy and its refusal to encourage homes, businesses and communities to install clean energy systems.

"Renewable energy has a major role to play in cutting our fossil fuel dependency, tackling climate change and creating thousands of jobs around the country. The Government must seize the green initiative."

Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to:

End its attempts to water down the EU Renewables Directive

The EU has agreed that 20 per cent of Europe's energy should come from renewable sources by 2020. To meet this target the UK will have to source 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by this date. But Ministers are attempting to water down the target by proposing, for example, that countries could buy renewable energy "credits" from outside the EU and that carbon capture and storage (CCS) from fossil fuel plants could count towards the target. Friends of the Earth says this is unacceptable and Ministers should ensure the UK plays its fair share in meeting the target.

Improve support for the UK's renewable electricity generation target

To play its part in meeting the EU's renewable energy target, Britain will have to ensure that around 40 per cent of UK electricity comes from renewable sources by 2020. The current renewable energy support system, the Renewables Obligation, has a target of only 20%.

Amend the Energy Bill to require energy companies to give long-term contracts guaranteeing a premium price for renewable energy generated by households and businesses, helping them to produce their own green energy

The scheme, known as a feed-in tariff, would make renewable technologies significantly more cost effective to install. Feed-in tariffs have been especially successful in Germany, which now has 200 times more solar power and more than 10 times more wind power installed than the UK.

Ensure the national grid accommodates renewable energy generation

At the moment the grid doesn't have the capacity to carry this electricity from the areas of wind resource, to the areas of demand. Fully harnessing the vast offshore resource will need strategic development of a European electricity grid

Abandon plans for a new nuclear programme, and channel support instead to ensuring growth in a UK renewable energy industry.

The proposed 25 gigawatts of offshore wind will generate as much electricity as 10 new nuclear power stations, but could be up and running much sooner. Renewable generators currently have to compete with the nuclear industry for grid connection

Notes

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust