ALTERNATIVES

The alternative to a future dependent on nuclear power is for the government to invest in renewable and decentralised energy, and to promote energy efficiency, but the Government has failed to support its commitments to renewable energy and energy efficiency requirements.

The current Government support program for solar energy is to be wound down six years early, despite attracting major private sector investment in solar PV manufacturing. The program spent just £31million of the £150million that was committed in 2002. In the same week that Blair urged China and India to invest more in zero and low carbon technologies, he cut the UK´s Low Carbon Buildings Program support for micro-renewables from an average of £11.25 million to £9.5 million per annum. The UK has a mere 7.8 MW of installed solar PV capacity compared to Germany´s 794 MW and the Netherlands´ 48 MW. (Greenpeace)

On wave and tidal energy, the Government pledged £50 million for research and development, but so far nothing has been done to encourage these potentially crucial technologies into the market place. (Greenpeace)

The Government's main support mechanism for renewable energy, The Renewables Obligation, has failed to offer any significant support to less developed renewable generation technologies, particularly smaller scale renewable energy sources. (Greenpeace)

A report by accountants Ernst & Young of 7/2/06 said that the UK was falling behind in its attempt to meet its renewables target. "The UK has Europe's best wind, wave and tidal resources yet it continues to miss out on its economic potential," said Jonathan Johns, head of renewable energy at Ernst & Young. (The Guardian website 8/2/06)

The two principal policy mechanisms for delivering CO2 reductions from households will deliver much less than expected. The Government has scaled down energy efficiency requirements in the new Building Regulations and the 5MTC saving promised from domestic and business premises is likely to be at least a million tonnes short. (Greenpeace)

According to Greenpeace, a decentralised energy system allows heat normally wasted in fossil fuel based electricity production to be captured and used, allows use of diverse renewable energy sources, and acts as a springboard for efficient energy use.

"The government must take the lead. The nuclear option should be ruled out once and for all. Nuclear power is unsafe, uneconomic and unnecessary" Stephen Tindale Excecutive Director of Greenpeace UK.