ETI's Chief Executive David Clarke responds to Amber Rudd's speech on a new direction for UK energy policy

18 November 2015

The Energy Technologies Institute has responded to a speech made today (18 November 2015) by Amber Rudd, Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

ETI Chief Executive Dr David Clarke said:

“Stable and clear government policy is critical to engaging industry and investors in development of the UK energy system.

Whilst today’s announcement recognises the need for urgent action to address near-term energy security needs these actions need to be linked to critical longer term strategic decisions – particularly the requirement for any new gas plant to be capable of being fitted with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology at a future date.

This also means new gas power stations should be preferentially sited close to the east and west coasts to allow ready, economic connection to a future CCS pipe and storage  network.

CCS is the key economic game changer in a move to a UK low carbon energy system, particularly one based heavily on natural gas, and can halve the cost of meeting UK climate change targets.

The Government has set out a plan to demonstrate CCS by building the initial pipeline and storage infrastructure and this needs to be sustained as a key example of industry and government working together to deliver secure, sustainable, affordable energy to consumers.”

Read Amber Rudd’s speech on a new direction for UK energy policy here.