Energy Policy of The United Kingdom - 2007 Energy White Paper

2007 Energy White Paper

The 2007 Energy White Paper: Meeting the Energy Challenge was published on May 23, 2007. The 2007 White Paper outlines the Government’s international and domestic strategy for responding to two main challenges:

• cutting carbon emissions to tackle global warming
• ensuring secure, clean and affordable energy as imports replace declining production from North Sea oil and gas

It seeks to do this in a way that is consistent with its four energy policy goals:

• cutting the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions by some 60% by about 2050, with real progress by 2020;
• maintaining the reliability of energy supplies;
• promoting competitive markets in the UK and beyond, helping to raise the rate of sustainable economic growth and to improve productivity; and
• ensuring that every home is adequately and affordably heated.

The paper anticipates that it will be necessary to install 30-35 GW of new electricity generation capacity within 20 years to plug the energy gap resulting from increased demand and the expected closure of existing power plants. It also states that, based on existing policies, renewable energy is likely to contribute around 5% of the UK’s consumption by 2020, rather than the 20% target mentioned in the 2006 Energy Review.