Britain needs to produce more home-grown energy to end its vulnerability to supplies suddenly being denied from abroad, the business secretary, John Hutton, warns today.
In a franker recognition of the problem than the government has offered in the past, Hutton says that the United Kingdom cannot be indifferent to the "inevitable politicisation of energy" as it moves from being a net exporter to a net importer. This means accepting new nuclear power stations as well as greater use of renewables.
The government has no target but Hutton wants most of Britain's energy to be provided from inside the country, aides said.
"Climate change and soaring energy demand are combining to create a 'perfect storm' during the next half century. A storm in which access to secure and competitively priced energy is likely to become the major political headache in capitals across the world," Hutton says in a speech at a UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) energy event in London. Britain is investing in energy supplies in developing markets such as Turkey, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. But Hutton acknowledges the need for improved relations with major suppliers such as Russia.
In a franker recognition of the problem than the government has offered in the past, Hutton says that the United Kingdom cannot be indifferent to the "inevitable politicisation of energy" as it moves from being a net exporter to a net importer. This means accepting new nuclear power stations as well as greater use of renewables.
The government has no target but Hutton wants most of Britain's energy to be provided from inside the country, aides said.
"Climate change and soaring energy demand are combining to create a 'perfect storm' during the next half century. A storm in which access to secure and competitively priced energy is likely to become the major political headache in capitals across the world," Hutton says in a speech at a UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) energy event in London. Britain is investing in energy supplies in developing markets such as Turkey, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. But Hutton acknowledges the need for improved relations with major suppliers such as Russia.
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By 2020, more than half the UK's oil and gas will come from abroad. Almost a third of coal and oil-fired power stations will close in the next 20 years and all but one nuclear power station will shut by 2023.
"Now, more than at any other point in our history, the challenge of energy security is likely to be one of the most important political and economic challenges we face as a country ... our strategy must focus on ensuring we do not become dependent on any one supplier, country or technology," Hutton says.
Via: The Guardian| by Will Woodward
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