LONDON—Three bills that will shape Britain's energy future and commit it to the first legally binding carbon-cutting target in the world are expected to become law on Wednesday, the government said.
The Climate Change Bill committing Britain to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, the energy bill approved by the House of Lords on Wednesday and planning reforms seen as key to meeting the climate change target are all expected to get Royal approval late on Wednesday.
"Setting the 80 percent target was the easy part: now the work really begins," energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband said in a statement.
"The energy and Planning Acts will be instrumental in reducing carbon emissions, removing barriers to enable industry to invest in important new infrastructure, and giving individuals and communities the incentive to use energy more efficiently and generate their own heat and energy ."
The energy package includes measures to support carbon capture and storage projects, renewable energy and new nuclear power stations that the government sees as key to fighting global warming.
The planning reforms are expected to speed up authorisations for major infrastructure projects like wind farms and nuclear power stations so that they can help Britain meet its carbon-cutting targets.
"There is enough renewable energy caught up in the system to power over one and a half million homes and the current planning system cannot cope," communities secretary Hazel Blears said.
"We need to reduce our fossil fuel addiction and build up a new generation of renewable energy ."
Under European Union targets Britain needs to get 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 compared to just 1.3 percent in 2005.
