Lowering gas demand: Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband
UK targets stemming gas imports
The British government wants to ensure that gas imports do not rise between 2010 and 2020 by increasing energy efficiency and use of renewable power, it said today.
UK gas imports are widely expected to rise over the next few years as Britain's own gas output declines, but Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband told parliament today that imports should not climb beyond 2010 under the government's Renewable Energy Strategy.
"Depletion of our North Sea oil and gas resources mean that we need to re-think our approach to sourcing and using energy," the government said in its strategy document published today.
"Achieving the 15% renewable energy target will lead to a reduction in overall fossil fuel demand by around 10% and gas imports by between 20% and 30% against what they would have been in 2020."
