May 23, 2013
U.K.

Green energy could save Britain up to £100 billion, says Government climate advisers

By Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent | The Telegraph | 23 May 2013 | www.telegraph.co.uk

Households could save up to £1,200 each if only Britain built more wind farms and nuclear power stations, David Cameron’s independent energy advisers suggested today.

The Committee on Climate Change acknowledged that paying for “green” energy may be costly in the short term but it will actually save the country up to £100 billion in the long run.

The Prime Minister has been under pressure from his backbenchers to stop the spread of onshore wind farms across the countryside and rein back the cost of green taxes on household bills.

However, the committee will today urge Downing Street to not to row back from the “green” agenda as it will ultimately hurt consumers.

It said the building more wind farms, nuclear power and other green energy sources would save £25 billion to £45 billion compared with relying on gas.

A third of this cost would be borne by households rather than businesses – working out at between £300 and £540 per household.

If gas prices rise substantially as some experts predict, the cost could be as high as £100 billion – or £1,200 per household.

If gas prices fall dramatically, wind farms and nuclear power stations would not be that much more expensive, it said.

Lord Deben, the chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, called on the Government to introduce new targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 10 per cent by 2030 in order to encourage “green energy”.

“Only then will we be able to insure against the risk of much higher future energy prices; enhance Britain’s energy sovereignty; and protect ourselves against dangerous climate change,” he said.

The Coalition decided not to bring in such a target earlier this year amid fears it would add to energy bills in the short term.

A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change said it agrees with the need to “invest in a portfolio of low-carbon technologies, and the need to reduce our dependence on imported gas which is the main factor driving up household energy bills”.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/05/23/green-energy-could-save-britain-up-to-100-billion-says-government-climate-advisers/