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Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the comparative costs of (a) each renewable form of electricity generation and (b) energy efficiency measures in reducing carbon dioxide emissions; and if she will make a statement. [140942] Mr. Timms: The Department has published estimates of the cost of electricity generation from a variety of forms of renewables and the comparative cost of energy efficiency measures in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. These are contained in a report published in February 2002 available at: www.dti.gov.uk/energy/ greenhousegas/index.shtml. The Performance and Innovation Unit at the Cabinet Office also published similar estimates in its 2001 Energy Review. These are available at: www. number-10.gov.uk/su/energy/l.html. The energy White Paper published in February 2003 committed the Government to putting the UK on a path to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent. by 2050. Improvements in energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewables in generation will both be important in achieving this objective. The White Paper sets an objective to double the recent rate of improvement in energy efficiency and an aspiration to achieve a 20 per cent. share for renewables in 2020, double the level of the Renewables Obligation set for 2010.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

140942; 415 c490W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Costs Conservation Climate change Carbon dioxide Energy Electricity generation Exhaust emissions Renewable energy

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk