Renewable Energy Gets Boost From Chancellor

Chancellor Alistair Darling’s Pre-Budget Report (PBR) has been seen as one of the most important packages of government proposals in over a decade. Included in that package were some very positive moves for renewable energy, which could equate to a big increase in ‘green-collar’ jobs – particularly renewable energy jobs, nuclear jobs and other careers in the UK’s energy industries.

The government gave a significant boost to the wind power industry by promising to extend the Renewables Obligation of financial support until 2037. The Renewables Obligation, which places a legal requirement on UK electricity suppliers to source any growing percentage of their power from green sources, was originally only in place until 2027. The Chancellor’s 10-year extension is intended to “ensure investors can plan with confidence for the future”. The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) said that the move was “really encouraging” and would stimulate companies looking at plans to build expensive projects deep into the North Sea. These projects include tidal projects as well as offshore windfarms and other renewable energy sources. This extension of the Renewables Obligation gives these companies a reassurance that the government will be investing in renewable energy, which translates into a greater confidence and business growth, which in turn inevitably leads to more job opportunities.

With government targets for 10% of UK electricity supplies to come from renewable supplies only two years away, the renewable energy industry is pumping investment into new methods of meeting those targets, again all good news for those looking for careers in the UK’s energy market. Nuclear power will be part of that package, so nuclear jobs look set to increase as new stations come online as part of the UK’s long-term plans to meet its energy needs. Despite a real desire for environmental energy to be the key to Britain’s future energy needs, there is a shortfall in supply and demand. It is probable that this shortfall will be taken up by the nuclear industry, whether the public wants it or not. The alternative is a country that cannot meet its own energy demands, so a compromise has to be made.

But not only has the Renewables Obligation been given an additional 10 year lifespan – the Chancellor also announced that the government would be bringing capital spending forward to finance the environmental sector as a whole. Mr. Darling said that this could potentially create one million jobs in the low-carbon industry over the next 20 years, giving the UK a new growth industry that has a long-term future. This obviously means a big increase in the number of potential energy jobs available and a stable career platform for thousands of people. Philip Wolfe, director general of the Renewable Energy Association said that “energy projects are significant undertakings and companies require 15 to 20 years of a stable policy framework stretching ahead of them to give them the confidence to invest.” It is this investment confidence that not only would benefit the environment, but the jobs market as well.

Although the oil industry is in surprisingly fine fettle and currently meets most of our energy demands, renewable energy is the future of both supply and production not just in the UK but globally as well. The Environmental Industries Commission calls on the government to go further, saying that the development and implementation of a long-term growth strategy that includes a clear environmental policy framework, incentives, research funding and skills development is a matter of urgency if the UK is not to be left behind in the race to become a leading low-carbon economy. All of this again bodes well for those seeking careers in the energy industry and renewable energy jobs in particular.

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