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UK playing catch-up on green technology, expert warns
21/09/09
The UK is playing "catch-up" on the development of renewable energy after neglecting the issue in the 1980s and 1990s, an expert has claimed. John Barwise, chairman of the Cumbria Green Business Forum, said Britain "led the field" in energy research in the 1970s but a lack of government interest, overdependence on oil and gas and the privatisation of utilities in subsequent decades led to "significant underinvestment" in delivering a power sector for the 21st century.
He added that the majority of the country's renewable technology, along with the skilled engineers needed for its installation, now comes from overseas.
"We desperately need to rebuild the UK's power industry and to invest now in training and skills, especially in new technologies, to ensure a sustainable power resource in the UK for future generations," he said.
Mr Barwise's comments come after the government's newly-appointed energy adviser, Professor David MacKay, told the BBC that renewable energy sources are not being developed at a fast enough pace to replace coal and nuclear power stations set to be mothballed in 2016.
Meanwhile, British Eco Energy, which advises residential property owners on making green home improvements such as installing solar panels, said public awareness of renewable technology needs to be "increased significantly".
