The government shapes energy policy in many ways but one over-arching principle has been the need to maintain a diversity of sources at competitive prices. Yet renewables that experts agree could reduce greenhouse gases have been the poor relation. Long-term contracts have guaranteed coal prices. Before 1996, under the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation 98 pence of every pound levied on consumers went to boost nuclear power. Just two pence helped fund renewables.
Renewable energy takes many forms but they all depend on costly research.
None has seen the scale of investment or the research and development that helped more damaging technologies. The price is not just environmental. The UK Photovoltaic Association, for instance, has complained that lack of incentives has meant Britain losing out to overseas competition, and companies such as Pilkington and BP basing their solar power operations overseas. Similarly, Britain has Europe's best offshore winds with more than a third of the total European potential. Yet Denmark which plans to generate a high proportion of its electricity by wind, leads the world in the development and manufacture of offshore wind turbines.