‘400,000 Green Jobs by 2015′, Says Miliband
A government proposal aiming to turn Britain into a low-carbon economy aims to create more than 400,000 new ‘green’ jobs by 2015, according to a plan presented by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Government ministers. The White Paper will plough nearly £100 million into developing renewable energy sources and, in the process, create scores of new ‘green’ career opportunities. The government’s goal is to supply up to 40 per cent of Britain’s electricity from low-carbon energy sources, such as wind and water power, by 2020.
Key job opportunities created by the proposal include the construction of 7000 on- and offshore wind turbines by 2020; the installation of ’smart meters’ in more than 26 million homes by that date; and undertaking more than seven million ‘pay as you save’ energy makeovers to British householders. Smart meters will allow families to see exactly how much energy they are using; it will cost nearly £7 billion to do so. The ‘pay as you save’ system will allow money to be lent to families to implement energy-efficient home improvements such as solar panels.
In addition, ministers proposed the implementation of a green transport system with the introduction of an electric train network and low-carbon buses, and offering discounts on the purchase of hybrid electric cars.
Plans such as the “Wave Hub”, a socket on the seabed near Cornwall that is connected into a power grid to allow large-scale testing of wave power. Carrying out and implementing the various energy-saving plans will create hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout Britain.
Ministers disclosed that in order to fund the “green energy revolution”, millions of British families will be hit with a £92 additional annual levy on their fuel bills by 2020, though the UK Energy Centre predicts the increase could be more than twice the official estimate of £92 per family. Energy companies will be directed to subsidise rising bill costs for the poor and elderly, by charging more for wealthier customers.
Ed Miliband noted that creating jobs to implement the green measures would pay for themselves in the long term, as well as protecting Britain from the possible damage of fluctuating global oil and gas prices. ‘We could become more and more dependent on that and quite insecure in our energy,’, said Miliband. ‘Or we can go for more homegrown energy which will also cost, but I actually think the costs will be less in the end, because the costs of climate change if we don’t stop it are going to be enormous.’
On the other hand, TaxPayers’ Alliance reasearch director Matthew Sinclair claims wind farms have not illustrated their ability to deliver energy in a reliable fashion and questioned whether the government was pushing the agenda ‘to line the pockets of renewable energy firms.’ Consumer Focus energy expert Jonathan Stearn also noted that the ‘cost should be shared with Government and industry, who will also benefit from these measures.’
