UK Advances Energy Strategy — Energy Act Provisions Come Into Effect

Provisions of the UK Energy Act 2008 were recently brought into effect. These include provisions relating to offshore gas importation and storage infrastructure, carbon capture and storage, renewable electricity generation, decommissioning of nuclear and offshore renewable energy and oil and gas infrastructure, and the introduction of smart meters. The Energy Act is one part of a program being implemented by the UK government to advance the goals of its energy strategy: to deliver energy security and accelerate the transition of the UK to a low carbon economy through an independently regulated, competitive market.

Increasing the proportion of total energy usage met by renewable energy is regarded as critical to the achievement of the UK's energy strategy goals and its EU energy commitments. In 2007, the EU agreed that 20 per cent of total energy usage would come from renewable sources by 2020, with each member state being allocated its own target. For the UK, the