Huhne promises no more coal plants without CCS

Chris Huhne has today hit back at reports suggesting the government is watering down its commitment to phase out the UK's dirtiest power plants, insisting the government remains fully committed to banning new coal-fired power stations built without carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

Writing in a letter to the Guardian in response to yesterday's front page story claiming that the UK's dirtiest coal plants have won a government reprieve, the energy and climate change secretary said the "idea that we are watering down our commitment is simply incorrect".

He also pledged that the coalition would not allow any new coal power station to be built without being equipped with CSS technology.

The Guardian report (which was republished on BusinessGreen.com) said government sources had confirmed the coalition would not bring forward legislation in the autumn that would introduce an emissions performance standard requiring all new coal power plants to install CCS technology.

It added that the government would instead launch a consultation on the proposals in the autumn to be followed by a white paper in the new year – a delay that green groups warned raised the possibility of new unabated coal-fired power stations "slipping through the system".

In his letter Huhne said the suggestion that coal plants would be approved without CCS was ludicrous, adding that the new emission performance standard would make it impossible for coal power plants to meet the standard without CCS technology.

He provided no further insight on when the emissions performance standard would be introduced, but insisted it remained a top priority for the government.

"We are moving as quickly as possible and our consultation on a radical reform of the electricity market to deliver secure, affordable and low-carbon energy will be out within six months of the election while a white paper will be published within a year," he said.

However, the proposed new rules continue to face opposition from some in the energy industry who fear that CCS technologies are too immature to be deployed at scale and as such the UK is running the risk of a severe energy shortage in the second half of the decade as old coal and nuclear power plants are phased out.

A number of Conservative backbenchers are also known to be opposed to the proposals, fearing that they could drive up energy bills and tilt the energy market further in favour of renewable energy projects.