§ 58. Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his latest estimate of the contribution of renewables to the supply of electricity in Britain by the year 2000 and 2010.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerRenewable energy technologies are at an early stage of development and there is great uncertainty about future projections. The most recent estimates of the contribution that could be made by each renewable energy source in the year 2025 have been published in energy paper 55, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House. Energy paper 55 estimates that by the year 2025 renewable energy might provide up to the equivalent of around 24 per cent. of supply electricity requirements if the technologies can be proven and applied commercially. No estimates are available for the years 2000 and 2010. It is Government policy to encourage the maximum exploitation of renewable sources of energy wherever they have prospects of being economically viable and environmentally acceptable.