Ministers’ plans for carbon capture and nuclear power could increase energy costs by £35 billion by 2030, campaigners have suggested.
Trying to deliver carbon capture and storage (CCS) and new nuclear power plants would make decarbonising the UK’s energy supply slower and more expensive, climate charity Possible said.
It suggested these technologies could increase costs by £35 billion by 2030 and £110 billion by 2050, while increasing emissions by nearly a fifth by 2050.
Their report found that maximising more renewable energy sources, particularly onshore and offshore wind and solar power, would be the cheapest and lowest-carbon pathway to reaching net zero.
Alethea Warrington, head of aviation, heat and energy at Possible, said: “It’s clear that renewables like wind and solar are good for our energy bills and our climate, and that wasting billions trying to keep burning gas will just slow us down.
“The government needs to stop wasting public money on expensive, speculative technologies that won’t clean up our act, and focus on rolling out the cleanest, cheapest, quickest sources of electricity.”
CCS is a process that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial processes and power plants, and then stores it underground to prevent it from entering the atmosphere
The Labour government has already announced an investment of over £22billion into CCS and is aiming to increase nuclear capacity from around 6GW to 24 GW by 2050.
Possible hit out at nuclear power plant’s track record of delays and significant budget overruns, while warning that CCS is “unproven and has an extremely high price tag”.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband last month said it is “completely logical” to suggest energy bills will reduce amid doubts over whether the Government’s net zero policies will benefit consumers.
The Energy Secretary told MPs that the drive towards “clean energy” is the only way to “get bills down sustainably” in the UK.
Mr Miliband said: “The truth is that there is only one way to get bills down sustainably in this country and that is driving to clean energy.”
Labour has pledged to double onshore wind, triple solar power and quadruple offshore wind by 2030.
