10 March 2008 - Green MEP for the South East Caroline Lucas has expressed her dismay today at the Government’s signals that plans for the UK’s first coal-fired power station in almost 30 years will go ahead.

Describing the proposals as ‘ill conceived, backward looking and environmentally disastrous’, Dr Lucas condemned Business Secretary John Hutton’s ‘green light’ for the Kingsnorth plant in Kent and other coal-fired facilities around the UK.

“Coal fired power should be consigned to the past where it belongs”

Hutton’s comments on coal power in a speech to the Adam Smith Institute come just days after he welcomed plans for the development of new nuclear facilities on sites owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Dr Lucas MEP said: “This Government’s rhetoric on climate change is becoming flimsier by the minute. It talks about acting tough on the environment, yet accelerates the development of coal fired power and nuclear energy, whilst also expanding aviation and setting low targets for emissions reductions.

“This step towards coal power completely fails to deliver either genuine energy security or urgent CO2 reductions.

“In particular, the proposed development in Kingsnorth simply flies in the face of reason. Britain is supposed to be committed to cutting CO2 emissions by up to 30% by 2020 and yet here we have a Government approving plans for a dirty energy facility which relies solely on hugely damaging fossil fuels.

“The South East is one of the regions likely to be worst affected by climate change, and yet the proposed coal development by energy giant E.ON appears to be being allowed to progress without question

“Frustratingly, Kent is ideally placed to benefit from renewable solutions such as wind, tidal and biomass energy generation, that can all deliver energy security and new employment opportunities. The EU has a target for 20% of its power to be generated renewably by 2020 and the UK is already struggling to meet its share of the commitment.

“We should be looking to reduce demand, invest in carbon neutral sources of power and seriously invest in energy efficiency measures.”

She concluded:  “Gordon Brown should be showing real commitment to a zero carbon future by backing distributed generation, taking full advantage of renewable energy sources in Kent, and funding renewable energy grants for homeowners. Coal fired power should be consigned to the past where it belongs."