Renewable energy industry welcomes new government department » Environment » 24dash.com

The renewable energy industry immediately welcomed the appointment of Ed Miliband as the first Secretary of State for the new Department of Energy and Climate Change.

“We are delighted that the Government has acted on our suggestion that energy now needs its own department and cabinet minister,” said the Director General of the Renewable Energy Association, Philip Wolfe.

“We have been calling this for some time, most recently in our submission last week to the Renewable Energy Strategy.”

The new minister has his work cut out in setting new policies to meet the demanding targets for energy being adopted Europe-wide.

The UK’s contribution will require renewables rise from 2% to 15% of our total energy supply by 2020.

“This will require Mr Miliband to extend the policy portfolio way beyond the narrow range considered by his predecessors,” said Mr Wolfe.

“In particular we look forward to measures for renewable heat, which can be included in the renewable energy tariff being considered in the current Energy Bill.

“He also needs to overcome obstacles delaying renewable technologies like wind, bioenergy and marine renewables, and to adopt a more robust approach to renewable transport fuels and decentralised energy technologies like solar energy and heat pumps.”

“The REA and the wider industry will look forward to working with the new Secretary of State on these crucial issues”, he concluded.