The amendment reads: For generating stations constructed pursuant to a relevant consent given or made on or after 1 January 2020, until (and including) 2034 the statutory rate of emissions is 200g/kWh.’

Such a target would require even gas-fired power generation to be fitted with technology to capture and store the CO₂ generated.     

The original Energy Bill proposal, published on 29 November 2012, does not contain a decarbonisation target for electricity sector despite calls for such a target from Labour party. It does propose however the introduction of emission performance standard (EPS) as a clear regulatory signals that investment in new coal-fired power stations must be consistent with the UK decarbonisation objectives.  

The proposal states that all new coal-fired power stations must have a proportion of their capacity equipped with carbon capture and storage infrastructure. The preferred policy option would be an annual limit on the amount of CO2 a plant can emit, equivalent to 450gCO₂/KWh for a plant operating at base load.  

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