Britain set out plans on Thursday for a tenfold increase in renewable energy within 12 years in a scheme welcomed for its ambition but criticised for lacking concrete policies to cut carbon emissions and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.
The government's proposals for meeting its 2020 target of getting 15 percent of energy from renewables foresees a third of electricity coming from renewables, 100 billion pounds of investment and bigger utility bills to help pay for it.
"This is a green revolution in the making. It is the most dramatic change in our energy policy since the advent of nuclear power," Prime Minister Gordon Brown said at the launch in London's Tate Modern, a coal-fired power station turned art gallery. "I'm absolutely certain that this is the right course for this country."
The proposals include increasing support and removing planning obstacles for clean energy projects to get 4,000 more wind turbines erected onshore and 3,000 more at sea by 2020, while increasing help for renewable heat and microgeneration.
The government warned that the extra cost of turning Britain into low-carbon economy meant even higher energy costs for consumers, which could be partially offset by greater energy efficiency,
Britain's biggest energy supplier Centrica said the plan would be costly for householders already facing rising fuel costs but argued that it was worthwhile.
"The investment needed - 100 billion pounds on the government's own estimate which equates to around 1,600 pounds for every man, woman and child in the UK over the next decade - is worthwhile when compared to the consequences of doing nothing," Gearoid Lane, managing director of British Gas New Energy said.
CAUTIOUS WELCOME
