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UK 'unacceptably slow' in adopting renewable energy
01/12/10
Edited by Tom Bardsley.The UK's progress in adopting renewable energy like solar and wind over the past ten years has been "unacceptably slow", according to MPs.
A report from the Committee of Public Accounts said that in 2000, 2.7 per cent of the country's electricity came from sustainable sources.
By 2009, this had increased to 6.7 per cent - still "well short" of the government's target of generating ten per cent of power from renewables by the end of this year.
Labour MP and committee chair Margaret Hodge warned that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) will have to show a "much greater sense of urgency" in supporting the widespread adoption of green electricity in order to meet long-term carbon reduction commitments.
However, she noted that the funding for investment in renewables is actually controlled by a "complex web of organisations" outside of the DECC's jurisdiction.
"In consequence, the department does not have a clear understanding of how much has been spent or what has been achieved," Ms. Hodge stated.
European Union figures show the UK generated 2.2 per cent of its power from renewable sources in 2008. This needs to rise to 15 per cent by 2020.
