About UK New and Renewable Energy

The UK is on the cusp of a revolution in renewable energy which will pave the way to a low carbon economy.

The UK is the windiest place in Europe and has the best tidal and wave resources in the world, offering unrivalled opportunities to harness these natural power resources.

Huge steps have already been taken to exploit wind, waves and tides to generate electricity but the achievements so far are a fraction of what can be expected over the next two decades and beyond.

As part of a European-wide effort to combat the threat of climate change, the UK has signed up to a pledge to ensure at least 15 per cent of its energy comes from renewable sources by 2020. The UK has committed under the Climate Change Act to reduce its greenhouse emissions by at least 34 per cent on 1990 levels.

Renewable energy has attracted £15 billion in investment for projects and company development in the UK over the last decade but this will be dwarfed over the next ten years.

At least £100 billion - and some estimates go much higher - is expected to be invested by companies and entrepreneurs in the UK by 2020 as the country reduces its reliance on traditional fossil fuels and instead takes up low-carbon sources of energy. There are already well over 1,000 businesses working in the sector and the number is rising all the time as the sector expands to meet the dual challenge of government targets and climate change.

The speed with which renewable energy generating capacity is growing, the support offered by the UK Government, the imperative to hit environmental targets, the need to provide security of supply and to replace conventional and nuclear power plants that are reaching the end of their lifespan mean businesses and investors have an unparalleled opportunity to make the UK their renewable energy success story.