Sunday, July 06, 2008

EU utilities say industries should share C02 cost


As many as a quarter of British homes could be fitted with solar heating systems and thousands of wind turbines erected across the country under government plans for a "green revolution" to be set out next week.

Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks said the plans, which may include measures to force homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, were aimed at dramatically increasing Britain's energy supplies from renewables by 2020.

"You will see this week a real determination by the government to move towards 15 percent of all of our energy from renewables by 2020," he said. "That is a green revolution."

Britain gets less than 5 percent of its electricity from renewables, mainly wind. The government has committed Britain to getting 10 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010, and under a European Union deal last year it is also committed to quadrupling that a decade later.

According to Saturday's Guardian newspaper, which has seen a copy of the government plan, the proposals seek a 30-fold increase in off-shore wind power generation, new loans and grants for businesses to increase green energy supply, a compulsory measure on households to boost energy efficiency.

See full Article.