London, 23 June 2010

“Given that this is meant to be the greenest government in years, we have to question where the government’s commitment to climate change was in this Budget.  While we welcome the introduction of the Green Investment Bank, it is still unclear how this will deliver a new low carbon energy infrastructure or how key schemes such as the Renewable Heat Incentive will go ahead.”

This according to Chris Bowden, chief executive, energy and carbon specialists at Utilyx. “Many businesses will also have been looking for some indication of plans to secure Britain’s energy supply over the next five years. With the recovery underway and measures being introduced to encourage business growth, demand for energy can only increase.

"The UK is already facing a potential shortfall in its energy supply. Now more than ever, we need the government to be decisive and to give businesses firm assurances about how demand for energy will be met.  We did not see this in today’s Budget and it’s a further blow for businesses who have already suffered years of procrastination from the previous administration on this vital issue.

“While the issue of the Britain’s deficit clearly needs to be tackled, it’s vital that energy security is considered alongside this in order to keep the lights on for our burgeoning businesses.”

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www.utilyx.com