Energy policy becomes election battleground
The UK?s three major political parties have used their autumn conferences to set out their visions for the future of the energy sector.
The UK’s three major political parties have used their autumn conferences to set out their visions for the future of the energy sector.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference on 23 September, leader Ed Miliband said a Labour government would ensure Britain maintains its position as “a world leader in the green economy”. This would be achieved by setting a decarbonisation target for the power sector, giving the Green Investment Bank “powers to borrow and to attract new investment”, and making energy efficiency a national priority.
Energy minister Matt Hancock used his speech at the Conservative party conference on 30 September to outline the importance of ensuring that energy security was part of “any vision for a better Britain”. The minister maintained that more should be done to “unlock the shale wealth beneath our feet” and ensure the future of new nuclear power. He agreed that renewables should form part of the mix, but said support for these technologies must present “the best value for bill payers and taxpayers alike”.
Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference on 7 October, energy secretary Ed Davey said a Liberal Democrat government would deliver the “green power revolution” that Britain needs. But he noted that “renewables cannot quickly replace all of the electricity we currently get from coal […] we will need gas as a bridge to a zero fossil fuel future, at least for the next two or three decades”.