Labour Party Conference: Ed Miliband unveils energy plans

The Shadow Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, addressed delegates in Liverpool today, outlining Labour’s plans to strengthen the UK’s energy security if the party wins at the next general election. Mike Childs, head of policy at Friends of the Earth, said:

“Energy independence is the right aspiration, but only if it properly aligns with our climate goals. Oil and gas use for many decades to come, as promised by Ed Miliband, simply isn’t compatible with securing the safe and liveable future we so urgently need – even if coupled with fanciful technologies like carbon capture and storage.

“It’s by insulating UK homes, investing in offshore and onshore renewables and boosting the UK’s energy storage capacity that we can end our reliance on expensive, damaging fossil fuels for good, and free ourselves from the scourge of profiting energy giants raking in billions off the back of our sky-high energy bills.”