Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has not enjoyed a development without controversy: like nuclear power it has had its critics as well as its supporters, with advocates favouring the immediacy with which it can be implemented and its theoretically clean electricity generation, and sceptics fearing that the theory would not hold to the practice, and carbon dumping could cause as many problems as the current dumping of toxic waste.

The British government, though, are continually in favour, and last week Ed Miliband, Energy Secretary and head of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), once again signalled his commmitment to the technology, promising to build electricity plants that are equipped with CCS technology.

Electricity Plants Will Support Strong Renewable Energy and Nuclear Energy Programmes

Confirming that the New Labour government will not ratify plans to build any new coal-fired electricity plants unless they are fitted with CCS technology, Miliband further commented in his speech that renewable energy was still firmly on the government’s agenda; he announced a strategy that would incorporate the three pillars of renewable power, CCS, and nuclear power.

Whilst both nuclear energy and CCS are contentious issues – not to mention the fact that Kingsnorth, the subject of recent protest, is one of the planned build sites for a new electricity plant – it can be said that Miliband’s proposals are ambitious, thoughtful and sensible.

Understanding that renewable energy is by far the purest option in the future, the DECC has drafted a plan that also accepts that the problem of climate change is alive now, and must be dealt with now.  As such, the use of nuclear energy and CCS as a support base for the increased development of renewable energy, is a very sound proposal indeed.

To that end, the stand out statement from Miliband was as follows: “Even on our ambitious targets for renewables, there will be a need, on the estimates we are publishing today, for additional new non-renewable power. We need to use all available low carbon sources”.

No More Polluting Electricity Plants – An Ambitious Statement in the Lead up to Copenhagen

With the count down to the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit well under way, the DECC are certainly setting an example to other nations in positive climate change policy. It further signals the intentions of Britain to lead the way in future energy policy. If the DECC can stick to their proposal, and fit all new coal-fired electricity plants with CCS technology, then it will be a laudible step indeed.