ELECTRIC VEHICLES
PM S PLAN: Boris Johnson has vowed to ban new sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2030 . He announced £2.8billion in funding as part of his ten-point green plan, including £1.3billon on the rollout of electric car charging points.
REALITY: The 2030 target is viewed by the industry as incredibly ambitious with car companies facing an uphill battle to meet demand on time - and the UK charging network needing to be increased to 20 times the size it is today.
The AA says the 2030 target is incredibly ambitious , with the three major concerns around electric cars for drivers being the initial cost of the car and availability, perceived single-charge range anxiety and charging infrastructure.
Could the four villages bypass going through Little Glemham be back on the agenda?
- Credit: Archant
Energy giant EDF has been urged to do more to help get the A12 four villages bypass back on the agenda as part of its proposals for the development of Sizewell C.
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dan Poulter has written to the boss of EDF, which hopes to build the new two-reactor power station on the coast, suggesting that a new offer to help fund the bypass could ease some of the opposition to the proposal locally.
A CGI of what the Sizewell C nuclear power station will look like Picture: EDF Energy
White Paper Keeps Sizewell C Option Open
The British government has re-pledged its commitment to a low carbon future with a white paper that supports nuclear power in small modular reactors and in larger plants, media reports indicate.
Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said the white paper “establishes a decisive and permanent shift away from a dependence on fossil fuels towards cleaner energy sources that will put our country on the forefront of the global green industrial revolution,” Nuclear Engineering International reported.
In a tangible commitment, the government is investing $520 million in modular reactors, $231 in advanced modular reactors, and $543 million in fusion energy.
Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, EDF Energy s Managing Director, Nuclear Development: We are eager to start discussions with the Government on a suitable financing model for the project and we look forward to the next phase of scrutiny of our plans by the Planning Inspectorate. Sizewell C will build on the great progress being made at Hinkley Point C and, as a copy, will benefit from lower construction and financing costs. We are confident that we can arrive at a funding solution which will provide value for money and help to lower energy bills for consumers.
The proposals have already sparked widespread concern among local politicians with MPs Dr Therese Coffey and Dr Dan Poulter and both Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk Council saying they have major worries about the plans for the station - even though they are not opposed in principal to the aims of the project.
The U.K. government’s long-awaited energy white paper is out with confirmation of recent negotiations with EDF over a new nuclear power station and a drive to push up the price of carbon.
The policy document is a forerunner to far-reaching new legislation covering all aspects of energy, from efficiency to managing the EV rollout to controls on consumer bills.
The paper includes many proposals already announced by the government, such as its 40-gigawatt offshore wind target, carbon capture funding and the target to deploy 5 GW of green hydrogen capacity by 2030.
Those ideas now begin their journey into law, offering the energy sector some welcome certainty at the same time.