UK Eyes Low Carbon Economy Through Investment in Clean Energy

In a sweeping effort to shift the UK economy away from fossil fuels, the nation’s energy secretary has unveiled a national plan that he says would cut CO2 emissions by 34 percent by 2020 and generate 40 percent of the nation’s electricity through low-carbon sources. The comprehensive proposal includes a major investment in renewable sources of energy, increased emphasis on green transportation, and incentives for British citizens who generate energy in their own homes, including wind turbines and solar panels. On a larger scale, officials want to build 4,000 new land-based wind turbines and another 3,000 offshore. “What we are trying to do is to set out not simply targets for 2020 — which have been set — but a route map to get there,” Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC. A 2008 analysis concluded that efforts to meet green targets could bump energy bills by almost £230 — or about $377 — each year. While Miliband conceded that switching to a greener economy will be more expensive for consumers, the prices of carbon-based fuels like coal and gas will also likely rise because of surging demand in China and India.