A Reform UK MP has accused Ed Miliband of being “obsessed” with renewable energy, after the Government announced nine new offshore wind farms.
The farms are part of a new wave of green power projects including onshore wind and solar farms, which officials said will generate enough power for 11 million homes.
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In the Commons on Tuesday, Richard Tice said the Energy Secretary should “tell the truth” and admit that renewable energy is “more expensive”.
Meanwhile, Mr Miliband said the projects were an opportunity to “get off the rollercoaster of volatile global gas markets”.
The projects were announced as part of this year’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction, a process started in 2015 as the Government’s mechanism for making sure renewable energy schemes are built.
During a statement on the contracts, Mr Miliband described solar power as “one of the cheapest and most readily available” deployable energy sources at the Government’s disposal, to which Mr Tice shouted: “When the sun shines.”
Mr Miliband said the auction was the “most successful … in British history”, before adding: “And a major step forward in our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and help Britain get off the rollercoaster of volatile global gas markets.”
Later in the session, Mr Tice, MP for Boston and Skegness, asked: “Will the Secretary of State, who is obsessed with renewable energy, be honest with the British people?
“Because the truth is that the offshore wind turbines bid today are some 20% above current prices, the floating offshore wind is some three times the current prices.
“His own department say that actually this requires subsidies of some £1.5 billion a year, that’s before the extra transmission costs, before the constrained payments, before the compensation payments for blighting the countryside of my constituents, and before the costs of back-up when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.
“So will the Secretary of State be honest and tell the truth that renewable energy is more expensive, not cheaper?”
Mr Miliband hit back at Mr Tice by stating that Reform’s manifesto was “basically for higher bills and to make people poorer”.
He added: “Whether fossil fuels are produced in this country or internationally, they are sold on the international market, and that’s why the British people paid the price and Government forked out £94 billion.
“And the only way to get off the rollercoaster of international gas markets, and take back control, is to become a clean energy superpower.”
Fellow Reform UK MP Lee Anderson also criticised the projects, stating: “This Secretary of State is absolutely living in a completely different world to my constituents, because they’re not asking for this on the doorstep, at all.
“This Secretary of State, by the way, is quite happy to spend £11.6 billion on climate aid abroad, £8.5 billion on GB energy, yet rob our pensioners of £300 at the same time.
“But I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt – will all my pensioners in Ashfield receive significant discounts on their fuel bills, and how much will it be by?”
This Secretary of State, by the way, is quite happy to spend £11.6 billion on climate aid abroad, £8.5 billion on GB energy, yet rob our pensioners of £300 at the same time.”
Mr Miliband replied: “This is the way to deliver lower bills for his constituents.
“The reality they have to face is this, which is: does he believe that continuing reliance on fossil fuels as a country, saying no to renewables – which I think is their position – will give us energy security? And the truth is, that it won’t,” he added.
Elsewhere, Tory MP Sir Julian Lewis raised concerns about the reported use of slave labour in the manufacturing of solar panels in China.
The New Forest East MP added: “Other countries have been putting a ban on the import of these – how does he propose to deal with this matter? Because I’m sure he shares our concern that we should not be profiting on the back of that sort of disgraceful exploitation.”
Mr Miliband replied: “I think we need to really kick the tyres on this, to make sure that the proper controls are in place.”
