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UK’s Climate Change chief trying to pass off nuclear energy as “renewable”

The government is considering several options for supporting low-carbon energy. One is to extend the existing renewables obligation system to nuclear generators. Under this system, renewable energy providers are awarded saleable certificates for the power they generate, which are bought by electricity utilities to fulfil their obligation to produce a certain proportion of their energy from renewable sources.

Nuclear plants’ subsidies attacked, FT.com, By Fiona Harvey,  December 7 2010 New nuclear power plants should not receive government subsidies because they are financially viable without funding from taxpayers, the government’s climate-change adviser has said.

But a proposed feed-in tariff for low-carbon energy, which would include both renewables and nuclear, would be acceptable because it would not represent a direct subsidy, said David Kennedy, chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change, a statutory body set up to advise the government on how to meet its emissions-cutting targets….

The government is consideringseveral options for supporting low-carbon energy. One is to extend the existing renewables obligation system to nuclear generators. Under this system, renewable energy providers are awarded saleable certificates for the power they generate, which are bought by electricity utilities to fulfil their obligation to produce a certain proportion of their energy from renewable sources.

Mr Kennedy rejected this proposal, saying it would amount to a “direct subsidy”.

However, he said the alternative proposal of a low-carbon feed-in tariff – under which generators are given more certainty over long-term prices by means of a guaranteed price for their power – would not necessarily represent a subsidy….

FT.com / UK / Politics & policy – Nuclear plants’ subsidies attacked

December 7, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK