The Telegraph: Government 'seduced' by shale gas, Tim Yeo claims
Tim Yeo, Tory chairman of the Energy Committee, says the Treasury is holding back investment by failing to set out a clear plan for energy policy.
His intervention follows rows between George Osborne, the Chancellor, who wants more gas generation, and Edward Davey, the Lib Dem Energy Secretary, who supports calls to make electricity go “green”.
In defiance of the Chancellor, Mr Yeo is calling for a “decarbonisation” target in the Energy Bill, which is to be debated for the first time in Parliament on Wednesday.
He will try to hijack the Bill, potentially with support from green-minded Labour and Lib Dem MPs, with an amendment introducing a commitment to “clean up the sector by 2030”. It would require power stations to produce fewer than 100 grams of carbon dioxide per kWh of electricity.
If Mr Yeo manages to change the Bill, it will be an embarrassment to the Chancellor, who originally insisted on taking out the decarbonisation target. Asked about Mr Osborne’s reported description of supporters of green policy as “the environmental Taliban”, Mr Yeo said: “I am proud to be a member of the environmental Taliban”. He believes the electricity sector needs to switch to nuclear, wind and other renewable technologies, rather than being reliant on coal and gas. MORE