MILIBAND CHEATS TO GET TO NET ZERO

 Ed Miiband faces cheating accusations over plans to exclude emissions generated in foreign gas-fired power stations from UK totals.

He has pledged to make the grid 95pc gas-free by 2030 – but 15pc of UK power comes from neighbours like Belgium, the Netherlands and France, which have coal and gas-fired power stations.

Mr Miliband has ruled that all such imported power is be classed as zero carbon – making it look as green as wind or solar – because the emissions occur outside UK borders.

The decision will bring his target of a “95pc gas-free” grid by 2030 within much easier reach because it means electricity generated overseas will all be deemed to be carbon free – even if it comes from burning coal.

Mr Miliband’s approach was described as “cheating” by energy analyst Kathryn Porter of Watt-Logic.

“It is misleading to describe the power delivered by subsea interconnectors from Europe as zero carbon,” she added.

“These countries use gas-fired power plants, so clearly the power we are using is generating greenhouse gas emissions. You can’t use an accounting trick to avoid that fact.”

Britain is increasingly reliant on energy imports, especially when wind and solar output plummets.

On such days the UK’s reliance on imports surges to more than 20pc – pushing up CO2 emissions. If overseas emissions incurred in generating power for the UK were included, it would potentially undermine the 95pc carbon-free target.

Omitting foreign energy supplies from UK carbon accounting is widely deployed.

Last week, the National Energy System Operator (Neso) said that the UK’s combined solar, wind and nuclear fleet had reduced gas-fired generation to just 2.3pc of UK power.

The announcement omitted to mention that Britain was also getting more than 12pc of its electricity from overseas – potentially including foreign coal and gas-fired power stations.

It also omitted the contribution of Drax, the UK’s most controversial power station, which is powered by burning wood chips imported from forests in North America. It typically generates 4pc to 5pc of UK electricity.

Full story here.