News | Energy Efficiency

http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/renewable-energy-news/by-technology/energy-efficiency/uk-government-debates-postponement-of-crc-energy-efficiency-scheme.html

The UK government today launched a consultation to decide whether the second phase of the mandatory energy saving CRC Energy Efficiency scheme should be postponed.

Delaying the scheme will create a window for the government to engage in a dialogue on how to improve it, and may mean participants will not need to register until 2013.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne announced the decision to revise the scheme, which was formerly know as the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), at today’s CBI climate change conference.
The consultation was launched as part of a wider government pledge to simplify the initiative and reduce the administrative burden on businesses to comply with it.
Huhne also revealed that the government is proposing to make around 12,000 companies that declared information under the scheme exempt, following feedback from the first stage of its implementation.
The decision to revise the scheme was a reaction to public criticism that it was overly complex.
In a speech he delivered at the CBI conference, Huhne admitted the implementation of the CRC fell short of expectations and promised to engage stakeholders to improve the scheme.
He went as far as saying that if the government had another ‘blank slate’ to implement the scheme, it would do things differently.
Huhne said, ‘The principle is sound: saving energy, reducing emissions and improving competitiveness through a clear and transparent nationwide programme.’
‘The current market framework is not fit to deliver the investment we need. That is why, later this year, we will set out our plans to reform the electricity market,’ said Huhne.
The UK government has committed to replace around a quarter of the country’s old power stations by 2020 and prepare for a possible doubling of demand for electricity in the next 30 years.
‘We have a once-in-a-generation chance to rebuild our fragmented market, rebuild investor confidence, and rebuild our power stations. Like privatisation before it, this will be a seismic shift; securing investment in cleaner, greener power,’ said Huhne.