Public backs new coal power stations with CCS

Survey for Institution of Mechanical Engineers finds strong support for idea

Half the public would back the idea of new coal and gas-fired power stations if there was a way to capture and store any carbon emissions, a new survey has found.

The survey by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers found 50 per cent of people would support new fossil fuel power stations with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, while 22 per cent were against the idea.

It also found 35 per cent of people thought the government’s first priority should be generating enough electricity to meet all our domestic and industrial needs, while 32 per cent said it should be generating power which has the least impact on our climate.

Just 23 per cent said the top priority should be generating electricity, which is the cheapest for the consumer.

And just under half (49 per cent) said they thought energy prices in the UK were higher than the average, compared to charges in Europe.

“If the government is serious about providing a secure and diverse electricity system, it must focus on reducing energy demand, improving energy efficiency and introducing carbon capture and storage,” said the institution’s head of energy and the environment, Jenifer Baxter.

“It is also curious that despite much of the public and political debate over electricity centring on the issue of pricing, the public viewed this as a less important issue than security of supply or the impact on climate change.

“As we prepare to leave the EU, a clear energy policy which focuses on energy efficiency, energy security and mitigating the impact on the environment is more important than ever,” added Baxter.

“Government must therefore act quickly to introduce legislation which ensures that we continue with EU rules on, for example, improving the efficiency of household items as well as reversing the VAT increase on insulation materials introduced in 2015.”