Huhne debunks renewable "myths"

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has taken a swipe at “faultfinders and curmudgeons” who claim that renewables are uneconomic, unreliable and unwanted. He told an audience at RenewableUK’s conference in Manchester: […]

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has taken a swipe at “faultfinders and curmudgeons” who claim that renewables are uneconomic, unreliable and unwanted.

He told an audience at RenewableUK’s conference in Manchester: “The unholy alliance of climate sceptics and armchair engineers… are selling Britain’s ingenuity short.”

Mr Huhne touted figures that almost £1.7billion worth of investment and over 9,000 jobs have been created in the UK by renewables this year.

The country’s economic crisis could even be lessened by renewables, he suggested: “We are not going to save our economy by turning our back on renewable energy.”

This was in stark contrast to his cabinet colleague, Chancellor George Osborne, who earlier this month at the Tory party conference said: “We’re not going to save the planet by putting our country out of business.”

Mr Huhne added that support for renewables from Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband was a draw for foreign investors: “It is this three-party consensus that makes the UK such a good place to invest.”

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