UK energy chief's green promises dont match reality - heres why it matters
British energy policy faces tough questions as costs rise and security concerns grow. New environmental targets might cost more than expected while Chinese companies get involved in key infrastructure projects
Ed Miliband travels to Bakuʼs climate meeting with 470 people‚ showing a funny side of green politics - he visits an oil-rich nation while pushing others to drop fossil fuels (just like when he told people to buy electric cars but didnt have one himself)
His climate-change plans look good on paper but dont add up: he wants zero-net emissions by 2050 grid changes by 2030‚ and huge carbon cuts by 35. The numbers behind these ideas show some real problems
The money stuff isnt working right: govt numbers say weʼll pay £14-billion in green taxes by 29 (thats £3.4-billion more than planned). The Institute for Fiscal Studies shows each home will pay £120 extra yearly; even Milibands own energy office says prices will go up
British factories are having a hard time: our power costs 50% more than other rich countries Its four-times higher than China; three-times more than USA and Canada. Even European friends like France and Finland do better cause they use nuclear power
The tech problems are big too - wind and solar dont work all the time which means:
- Power might not always be there
- We might need to limit usage
- Backup systems cost extra money
Chinese companies like Mingyang Smart Energy are building stuff in our seas; but Norway wont let them work there cause they dont trust them. Weʼre trading one kind of foreign dependence for another - and maybe a worse one
