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After two years of confusion, UK businesses at last have some degree of certainty - at least in the medium-term - as to the kind of energy landscape they are going to be operating within, the TUC said yesterday (Thursday), in response to the publication of the Energy Bill.

TUC General Secretary Designate Frances O'Grady said: 'We are a step closer to having renewable power at the heart of the UK's energy policy. Businesses and investors will now be more likely to stump up the cash to invest in carbon capture and storage projects as well as wind and wave technologies and new nuclear power, safe in the knowledge that their borrowing costs will be significantly lower.

'Although consumers' bills will need to rise to allow this much-needed investment in low-carbon energy to take place, the increase will be much more modest than would have been the case had the UK not taken action now to reduce our dependency on imported energy supplies.

'The government needs to redouble its efforts to tackle fuel poverty through energy efficiency measures to make sure that the poorest families in the UK are protected from any increase in their bills.

'We welcome the cushioning for the UK's energy intensive industries in terms of the costs they experience as we head towards a low-carbon economy. But it's disappointing however that there is no legally binding energy reduction target in this Bill.

'The Climate Change Committee has already said that it wants to see a decarbonisation target in place by 2030, so announcing that there is to be no move on this for another four years is yet more unnecessary delay. If businesses and investors knew they had an energy/emissions target to work towards, it would make life easier for everyone. But with high level ambitions, the Energy Bill can help secure new jobs and skills for our economic recovery.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Alex Rossiter T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07887 572130 E: arossiter@tuc.org.uk