Renewable energy: 'drastic action needed'
'Urgent and drastic' policy changes are needed if renewable energy targets are to be met


Renewable energy targets will only be met if there are 'urgent and drastic' policy and system changes, the House of Lords EU committee has said.
Renewable sources must contribute 15% of UK energy by 2020, but the EU committee has said that planning law muct be reformed to allow ministers to overrule local opposition to projects such as wind farms. Currently, about 2 per cent of energy comes from renewable sources.
The Lords also recommend that wind power must not be relied upon too heavily, and that the National Grid must be capable of accepting more green energy.
Lord Freeman, chairman of the committee, said: 'The 15% [renewable energy] target is laudable, but is an enormous challenge for the UK, particularly given our current levels of renewable generation.
'The target is achievable but only through a tremendous national effort on a Churchillian scale.'
If renewable energy targets were to be met, said Lord Freeman, 'Urgent and drastic action will need to be taken in terms of planning, the supply chain and the electricity grid.'
To comment on this article, use the comment box below, or email us at clonews@ipcmedia.com. Read more about the countryside.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National Park
Old House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
The UK gets its first ‘European stork village’ — and it's in West Sussex
Although the mortality rate among white storks can be up to 90%, the future looks rosy for breeding pairs in southern England.
By Rosie Paterson Published