Cameron hails progress on renewable energy

By Oliver Hotham

Britain has gone from little use of renewable energy to having it account for nearly 10 per cent of its electricity sources, the prime minister will say today at a meeting of energy ministers in London.

In a meeting focusing on making green energy "financially sustainable", 23 ministers from the world's largest economies will discuss how energy security can be balanced by sustainability.

Mr Cameron is expected to say that growing energy demands mean the need for green energy is all the more important.

"Our commitment and investment in renewable energy has helped to make renewable energy possible," he will say.

"Now we have a different challenge. We need to make it financially sustainable."

But consumer rights groups said that the government should remember who is footing the bill for these projects.

Richard Lloyd, executive director at the consumer group Which? said that "once again the government seems to forget it also needs to be affordable for consumers who are the ones left picking up the bill."

"Too many of the government's green initiatives are ill-thought out and look set to be ineffective and costly," he continued.

"We want to see policies that will encourage consumers to save energy and protect them from volatile future prices, but not at any price."

The prime minister is expected to announce millions of pounds of new investment to green energy and a new partnership to utilise the North Sea's renewable energy capabilities. 

Tags:
• environment