Ed Miliband has been accused of betraying British voters after dropping Labour’s manifesto promise to save households £300 on their energy bills.
The Energy Secretary unveiled plans to make Britain’s energy system “clean” by 2030, with the Government and private firms set to spend £40billion annually to clean up the sector.
However, Tory critics claim Labour misled the public at the General Election by abandoning the earlier promise of bill savings.
The figure was notably absent from yesterday’s announcements, with Miliband instead speaking only of a “positive vision” that includes “lower bills”.
Ed Miliband has said there will be no blackouts under the plan
PA
The ambitious plans aim to achieve 95 per cent clean power across the UK by 2030, though Miliband conceded the country will still rely on existing gas-powered stations.
These 49 gas stations will provide backup power during shortages of sun or wind, contributing no more than five per cent of total power over the year.
The plan includes “abated” gas power, where carbon dioxide emissions will be stored underground. Yesterday highlighted the current reliance on fossil fuels, with gas-powered stations providing a record 75.4 per cent of energy during weak renewable generation.
The strategy will also extend the life of ageing nuclear power stations by an extra two years.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Former energy security and net zero secretary Claire Coutinho
PA
Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho launched a scathing attack on the plans, saying: “Ed Miliband spent the election promising to cut energy bills by £300 by 2030, then took the same amount from pensioners. His promise to cut bills by £300 is nowhere to be seen.”
She warned that Labour’s rush to decarbonise would lead to higher costs for consumers.
“Instead he now has proof that his rush to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 will push up electricity prices and cause more hardship, but he’s pushing on regardless,” she said.
“We need cheap, reliable energy – not higher bills,” Coutinho added.
Ed Miliband
PA
In response to criticism, Miliband outlined plans to speed up the planning process for 80 major energy projects. He also promised the UK will not face blackouts under Labour’s plan to decarbonise the grid by 2030
Communities impacted by new pylons and infrastructure will receive money off their power bills, with detailed benefits to be announced in the new year.
“If you host clean energy infrastructure in your community, you should benefit from it,” Miliband told Metro.
When asked about the chances of blackouts in a clean power system if the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine, he told the BBC: “No. That’s why you have a strategic reserve of gas-fired power stations, why you have, for example, long-duration energy storage, why you have batteries, why you have nuclear.
“You have a range of things on the system to absolutely ensure security of supply. And it’s a largely renewables-based system, but it’s not an only renewables-based system.”
The Energy Secretary confirmed he would have ultimate say on approving large wind farm projects above 100 megawatts, bypassing local councils.
“The era of clean electricity is about harnessing the power of natural resources so we can protect working people from the ravages of global energy markets,” he said.
Environmental groups have raised concerns about the Government’s clean energy strategy. Doug Parr, Greenpeace’s UK policy director, warned: “A plan for clean power cannot rely on destructive bio-mass, or extend the life of climate-wrecking oil and gas by assigning capacity to carbon capture and storage.”
Green campaigners claim the clean-energy push will heavily depend on burning millions of tons of wood at the Drax plant in North Yorkshire.
However, some industry figures welcomed the reforms. Greg Jackson, chief executive of Octopus Energy, praised plans to slash red tape for grid connections and overturn the onshore wind ban in England.
