Energy Security: The challenge is big and time is short
August 1st 2009 In October 2008, the Prime Minister asked Malcolm Wicks MP, as his Special Representative on International Energy Issues, to carry out an independent review of international energy security and how developments internationally were likely to affect the UK’s energy security in the coming decades. His report, published 5 August 2009, recommends among other things that nuclear power should provide some 35-40% of our electricity beyond 2030.Gas storage is recommended as a security measure.
A heartening, if familar, chord was struck with the claim that energy efficiency must play a big part in the sdolution of our security worries.Wicks said that “Energy efficiency must be the starting point.This must not be regarded as some kind of soft option or ‘nice-to-have’, but rather as a rigourous and vigorous action programme to reduce substantially the country’s demand for energy.
This will enable Britain to become a lead nation, pioneering the way to a new green economy that combines growth with reduced energy use.” Indeed, but I think that we have heard this before.
Wicks also stresses that Britain will continue to be heavily reliant on imports in the medium term and that “there can be no over-reliance on any one region, country, energy source or pipeline. Building up relationships with key countries is important and the EU needs to be far more proactive in developing specific pipeline infrastructures and electricity connection that will benefit Europe as a whole. More articles from WEE News Desk: | 
