MPs vow to fight for clean electricity as the Energy Bill is published

Posted by Richardg — 29 November 2012 at 4:32pm - Comments
All rights reserved. Credit: Steve Morgan / Greenpeace

The government has finally published the long-awaited Energy Bill. There's much to like, but it's still missing that vital commitment to clean electricity.

The new set of laws contained in the Bill are supposed to usher in a golden age of green growth and clean electricity. To make sure that happens, businesses, NGOs and the independent Committee on Climate Change all asked the government to promise that the UK's electricity would be almost entirely carbon free by 2030.

Unfortunately, a cabal of anti-clean energy Tories, led by the Chancellor George Osborne, are doing their best to be disruptive. They want the UK to become even more hooked on polluting, imported gas - even though gas is already driving up our fuel bills and pushing people into fuel poverty.

The Bill is not completely useless - there is quite a lot of money available for renewable electricity, for instance - but there's still no sign of this vital commitment to carbon-free power.

Thankfully, MPs from all sides of the House of Commons are fed up with the Chancellor's meddling.

Tim Yeo, the influential Conservative MP who heads up the Energy and Climate Change Committee, says he will make sure the Energy Bill contains a clear commitment to clean electricity. Caroline Flint, the Labour MP who heads up the Opposition energy team, says she'll put aside party differences to deliver carbon-free power.

The Bill has been published, but the battle for our energy future is only just beginning.

Follow Greenpeace UK