UK May Seek To Dilute Renewable Energy Goals

The UK government seemed to welcome the European Union’s energy package which slaps on Britain a target of ensuring 15% of our energy comes from renewable sources by 2020.
The UK “welcomed” the ambitious proposals on climate change.  However, industry secretary, John Hutton, described the EU proposals as a welcome “starting point” for talks, indicating that the UK will seek to dilute its share.
The 15% target is ambitious and in pure electricity terms this will mean as much as 40% of our power must be generated from wind.  This comes from a starting point which is closer to 5%.
Members of the press reported six months ago that the UK might attempt to evade existing commitments by lobbying the EU to include nuclear in the renewable category or by trading permits with solar power plants in Africa.
The government appeared to be genuinely happy with the latest proposals from the EU for a third phase of the Emissions Trading Scheme which will come into effect in 2013. The project has been hounded up till now by a wealth of permits being handed out which led to a slump in the price of carbon.  This came despite the expected sharp rise.