Future Energy Policy Will Impact on South West

EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has called on the government to show strong leadership in safeguarding future energy supply by balancing renewable opportunities with greater investment in nuclear capacity. Commenting on the government’s first annual energy statement, Clive Turner, Head of External Affairs for EEF in the South West, says that the decisions taken over the next few years could profoundly impact on the south west’s position as a leader in renewable energy programmes. Comments Mr Turner: “The South West leads on a number of offshore renewable energy programmes and needs clear government leadership on how renewables fit in the future energy supply mix, otherwise we run the risk of losing the impetus gained so far, which could damage the opportunity to create a world class industry.” He added: “Even though the SWRDA will cease to exist by April 2012, the work of RegenSW, the body set up by the SW RDA to help businesses get involved in renewables, must continue. This will undoubtedly be one of the early challenges for the new Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), wherever they ultimately exist, to work together and ensure that this happens.” EEF, which has published its own “Energy Action Plan”, believes that with decisive action there is still time to put in place a policy framework which will attract the estimated £200bn worth of investment needed to secure the future energy supply. EEF believes that reversing nuclear power’s declining share of electricity generation is vital in reducing emissions at an affordable price. The organisation also sees carbon capture and storage as providing major business opportunities as well as a means of tackling climate change. “The UK faces an unprecedented combination of energy challenges over the next decade,” says Clive Turner. “Nationally, we need to invest billions of pounds in infrastructure, manage the risks associated with growing dependence on imported gas and meet a renewable energy target amongst the most ambitious and costly in the world all at the same time.” EEF believes the government is in danger of missing a crucial opportunity to review its approach to renewables. ENDS EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation is the representative voice of manufacturing in the UK together with ECIA, the Engineering Construction Industry Association and UK Steel. The EEF has a growing membership of almost 6,000 companies of all sizes, employing some 900,000 people from every sector of engineering, manufacturing, engineering construction and technology-based industries.

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