Government energy policies ‘incoherent’

The changes on energy policies the government has announced since it was elected seem “quite incoherent”. That’s the view of Angus MacNeil MP, Chair of the Energy and Climate Change […]

The changes on energy policies the government has announced since it was elected seem “quite incoherent”.

That’s the view of Angus MacNeil MP, Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Committee who thinks he can’t defend what DECC is doing to the sector “at all”.

Speaking to ELN, he said: “I just wish the UK Government and the Department of Energy and Climate Change had a plan. It seems quite incoherent. I mean we had the reset speech so then a week later we had the cancelling of Carbon Capture and Storage, something that was actually in the conservative manifesto.

“It was a promise to Scotland even before the referendum and what’s one day’s plan is yesterday’s read newspapers if you like and it’s a shame that there’s nothing more coherent and especially going forward for the future I think they are saving money today with big costs tomorrow.”

He believes the sector needs to know what are the steps the Tory Administration plans to make in energy or low carbon technologies.

Mr MacNneil added: “Sometimes even if the government, even without strategy, just were to tell people what they’re doing I mean think one of the things that came out of the hearing yesterday with Lord Bourne was that the government would maybe have a template in place for an aspect of policy by the end of the year.

“I think people just need an action.”

He was one of the speakers at the REA’s ‘Energy Storage: the new market dynamic’ conference in London, where he insisted this technology can help secure supply to the system and affordability.

He believes if there’s no investment in R&D, it will be more expensive in the future.

Mr MacNeil went on: “I think Paris 1.5°C agreement puts further pressure on the government and let’s see if the government rise to that challenge because the retoric is good as we’ve seen many times but the actions are not as good at all.”

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