More power stations and green energy cash in spending review plan

 
Joseph Watts26 June 2013
WEST END FINAL

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Ministers plan to boost the economy by pumping cash into the UK’s energy infrastructure.

Projects to be announced over the next month include new power stations, upgrades to the electricity and gas networks and investment in renewable energy.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander is due to set out a plan to deliver national infrastructure tomorrow.

But Energy Secretary Ed Davey told the Evening Standard that energy infrastructure had “a critical part to play” in what was to be unveiled.

He said: “If you look at the infrastructure pipeline of the Government going over the next ten years, Thursday won’t deal completely with all of it, but people reckon there’s about £330 billion of infrastructure investment.

“Of that energy is around about half. It’s in power stations. But its also in the networks of electricity and gas.

“It’s in everything from renewables – biomass, conversation from coal to biomass, energy from waste, on-shore wind, off-shore wind, solar and tidal – to new gas power stations and new nuclear power stations.”

Around 20 percent of the UK’s capacity to produce electricity is going off-line over the next decade meaning huge investment is needed just for the country to maintain current levels.

Meanwhile demand is rising and will increase faster as the economy recovers creating an urgent need to boost energy production further.

Mr Davey said: “Let’s see what’s announced on Thursday, there will also be things that we’ll be announcing in July as well that are related to all this. There’ll be a series of announcements on energy over the next few weeks.”

The government will also find out this week how many households signed up to receive finance under the Green Deal, the coalition’s attempt to create a market for improving buildings’ energy efficiency.

Mr Davey added: “Whether it’s the Green Deal or the energy infrastructure a lot of this is about jobs. It’s lots of jobs for young people.

“In difficult economic times, the energy agenda linked to the apprenticeship agenda, creates a green jobs opportunity for young people across the capital and across the UK.”

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