Today, the Conservatives have outlined plans to totally overhaul the UK’s current energy policy should they take power at the next general election. The plan proposes 12 new actions that the party would put into play should they take power; these include improving energy efficiency and making sure energy supplies are secured.

Party leader David Cameron said about the new policy paper entitled ‘Rebuilding Security’:
“We are setting out a Conservative programme for the long-overdue reform of British energy policy, together with the actions we will take to mobilise the investment required to enact those reforms and our strategy for minimising the cost to consumers.”

The policy plan aims to create a more ‘decentralised’ energy generation with plans for micro-generation, combined heat & power, waste heat capture and use of biomass & biogas. It also proposes to create a green investment bank and introduce green bonds to support investment in low-carbon technologies. The Tories would also introduce a new planning process alongside a floor limit on carbon prices aimed to provide a boost for nuclear and renewable energy sources. Carbon capture and storage technologies are also included in the plans.

The policy also outlines a new ‘Green Deal’ plan aimed at improving energy efficiency nationwide. It will provide help for homeowners to fund green home improvements through a ‘pay as you save’ scheme. The introduction of an ‘energy internet’ to help consumers monitor and control their usage is also a key feature the Conservatives plan to introduce to increase efficiency.

The Combined Heat & Power Association has welcomed the plans and director Graham Meeks said: “This is a progressive and pragmatic agenda. The Conservative’s specific commitment to use a feed-in tariff to promote the capture of waste heat could have a transformational effect for combined heat and power.”
Friends of the Earth have also welcomed the plans with much positivity as they have been pushing for the creation of a green investment bank.

Author:  Thomas Davies

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