In what many are celebrating as a major victory in the quest for cleaner energy sources in the UK, the Energy Act 2010 has received Royal approval and has made it onto the Statute books. Though the Act has many important provisions, its primary focus is on cleaner sources of coal. It is believed that the Act will encourage the development of new clean coal and more efficient alternatives.
Though many prominent lawmakers and politicians continue to push for substantive energy reform, average citizens seem to be on the fence. The reason for this is simple: investment in new energy sources inevitably leads to higher taxes and new cost burdens for people who are still struggling in the wake of the recession.
Perhaps that is why the government's recent announcement that they plan to reduce emissions by more than a third by 2020 received a lukewarm reception. Citizens are also concerned about rigorous new emission standards for their vehicles and Car Contract Hire .
However, residents do not seem the least bit surprised by the recent announcements, as they come on the heels of the Scottish coal-fired power station story. If you somehow missed it, the government plans to add expensive new storage bays along with a state of the art carbon capture system to the plant.
It remains to be seen which side of the fence residents will come down on. While opinion polls show that the majority are in favour of energy reform, most maintain that now is simply not that time as the UK does not have the money to invest in ambitious energy projects just yet.
