20,000 more wind turbines! Its doubtful that will ever happen by 2020. Its simply ludicrous to deploy that many wind turbines. They should be made bigger for starters, upto 10 MW in size so that less needs to be deployed. As for fuel usage to make them, well yes its true but they do have an energy payback time that is legitimate.

The EU requires an integrated grid from where all of the EU can draw power across ,solar, hydro, gas, water, wind, geothermal across the entire continent.

It is just inconceiveable that wind alone with provide the answer fo 15%. We have to think out of the box more on this one.

As for tax, well yes but £120 per annum is a small proice to pay for energy security. After all why should people expect to pay very little for heat and energy needs?

Pete Best, Northampton, UK

I think we will meet the targets as people just will not be able to afford to use it !!!! Think of the knock on affect, it all goes up. We will be back in the dark ages.

June, Hockley, u.k.

Accepted that the UK has to reduce CO2 emissions by 20%. But to do this by the use of wind turbines which produce electricity at twice the cost of nuclear is just stupid. It involves a subsidy of about £50/MWH. The UK can easily reduce its CO2 emissions by 20% by replacing coal generation by nuclear without increasing the cost.. This is only one strategy; the others are energy saving and switching from carbon high energy to low carbon energy, but when it comes to non-carbon electricity it is evident that the UK should choose the most economic way; that is nuclear.

stephen bull, fontes, france

Paul.
The Sea level will go down if the Arctic melts - you have not thought it through

Just think of what happens if you put a bottle of water filled to the brim in a freezer

This will more than compensate for any glacial melt - as the glaciers have survived through much warmer times in the past

billy, cardiff, Wales

I hope they are taking into account sea level rise when planing for off shore wind farms.

And what the is going to happen to all those nuclear plants on the shore line? Things are going to get very interesting in the next 10-20yrs...

pau m, vancouver, canada

Problem may be when wind starts blowing. Marginal generation is CCGT and simple-cycle gas turbine, AKA airplane motors. When wind starts blowing, airplane motors are forced off line. If wind energy exceed airplane motors that were running before the wind started blowing, then CCGT are forced off line. This is bad because CCGT are not designed for sudden stoppage. CCGT hot sections, particularly early turbine wheels, operate past yield and crack when subject to sudden cooling. Eventually merchant CCGT, and even some airplane motors, can not or will not jump in when the wind stops blowing. Lights go out.
The only practical solution to thermal plants being forced off line is to operate them at a lower temperature, below their yield points. This reduces efficiency from approximately 45% (CCGT) to roughly 35%. Airplane motors drop to 30%. Even at 35% efficiency, the combination of wind machines and airplane motors can use more natural gas than CCGT running 100% of the time.

William Ernest Schenewerk, Ph.D., Los Angeles, USA/California

Can I be a heretic and say this is all based on a potentially flawed science?

We can now control the global climate, now that is progress.

Ian Paterson, Dunfermline, UK

I make that 32 new turbines a week, every week from now to 2020. This in a country that can't repair a railway junction on time.

John Boler, Reading, UK

Does this mean additional or fewer incentives for households to install their own "Green" devices?

Nigel, Guildford,, uk

How can nuclear power be truly green Dwight?Is having tons of radioactive waste that takes hundreds of years to become 'safe' truly green?That kind of short term thinking is what got us where we are today.If you believe in global warming or not,it's indisputable that humans have had an enormus detrimental impact on the earth,which should be reversed as soon as possible. This article seems to be scaremongering a bit to me-private companies who make huge profits are responsible for the recent price hikes. The government can find £9 billion and counting for the Olympics, which will leave no legacy beyond possibly empty sports venues and new houses, whoopee.What a bargain. How much of a true legacy could be achieved if that money were invested in renewable energy? There are lots of alternatives to wind power,so assuming the entire country will be covered in turbines is more scaremongering.Why are people so negative about trying to achieve something positive?It could lead to cheaper power!

Adam, Brighton,

This Government is utterly incompetent. Anyone who has any sense and reason can see that the only way to halt climate change in its tracks is for all of us to live like in the stone age.

As the only nation with any international clout left, we must lead by example. Gordon Brown should engage the military to destroy every inch of civilisation in the UK, followed by the destruction of their own weapons and machinery.

People must wake up and smell the coffee. It is imperative that the above is carried out ASAP. The consequences of inaction is a few floods here and there, a scorching summer and a mild winter.

Pete, Cov,

The scenario that we could face is load shedding and blackouts, if any one remembers the miners strike in the early seventies when electricity cuts hit us all hard.

What I would like to see is economical use of electricity,less is more! why do we see office buildings blazing with lights at night? now that more buldings have got air con and other pieces of modern kit, make economies there.

Firm directives to show the public how they can achieve this in their homes. Cold water washing powder for clothes like they use in Africa,efficient thermostats and water cylinders, lights that go off when you leave a room. Businesses should take the lead here.

29% rise in prices is a terrible thought.
Solar traffic and street lights By learning to economise through better power efficiency will be a good learning curve for every one to wise up to before the lights really do go out.
This country is being dictated to by a very wasteful greedy grasping Europe .

Mrs Maggie Snook, wool wareham, Dorset uk

Well of course fuel is going to cost more. When are people going to realise that all of these warnings about global warming are just an excuse to get more money from the consumer. Global warming is a regular feature throughout the life of the planet. The wide boys that run things have just latched onto it to make money out of the mugs who believe that something can be one about it.

George Sign, Nice, France

When our we going to do something truly radical and elect some one other then labour or the tories?

Some one who might actaul do what we want and listen to what we say rather than make new taxs to make their friends richer so they can pay more in donations for the honours?

I want My EU referendum!

MR Jones, Liverpool,

How much energy is required to make and instal 20,000 wind turbines?
The proponants ignore this.

Howard, Chester,

This is a stealth tax imposed on the UK by an unelected elite in Europe. Not only that but it is the name of something which is surely debatable. How dare European bureaucrats tell us how we should spend our money for what is irrational drivel.

Ian Burgess, Bristol,

How will another UK tax save the planet?

jj, Cambs, UK

So its not getting warmer then. There are no floods. Come on people it might cost a bit more in the first instance for renewables but it is cheaper than having to put up flood barriers and pump out houses. As for nuclear, you better pray that non of the toxic waste goes missing or a dirty bomb in London will turn it into a wasteland.

bob taylor, castelnau, France

It's complete lunacy. An extra 15% compounded on an average increase of 12% recently announced leads to a 29% hike in prices. This at a time when "fuel poverty" is at an all time high. The notion of a new army of 20000 wind turbines despoiling our countryside and shores is just too horrible to contemplate. It was only a few days ago that the "green light" (truly green) was given to nuclear electricity generation. The output from 9 new nuclear power stations would more than fulfill the need, and the lights would remain on when the wind drops.
Why does the UK put up with this nonsense from the EU? It's time to get out of the bureaucracy and return to the trading advantages of the once was European Economic Community. Are we not able to decide our own destiny any longer?

Dwight Vandryver, Scholar Green, Cheshire, UK

So bills for heating will rise sharply. now that will warm the hearts of the climate change fanatics and the politicians that grovel at their feet. Course it may not go over too well to those paying the bills but when have their opinions mattered. This is the elites who know better. Now children dont complain, just pay up. Remember the elites are doing this for our on good. Course they will still have their limos and private jets and their gated communities. Surely u cretins dont expect them to live under the same rules the rest of us do. They will just go to the reverend Al Gores" church of the green way and lay down a little cash and be forgiven. The good rev is gonna make a fortune off of this. While the saps (us) will pay thru the nose.

Al, Cburg, USA

And - not a single one of these turbines will be built by a UK company... The boost to the German, Danish or American economies will be huge... The increase in our trade deficit will be huge..

Well done Hillary oh, and thanks to our glorious financial services for supporting the renewable services industry.

DickW, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

England the number one country for crime, surveilance, taxes and now carbon emissions. Way to go Hilary nice to know someone in government has his finger on the pulse. By the way will pensioners be receiving extra income to cover the extra cost for this scheme or should they just turn the heating off for a couple of weeks over the Christmas period?

Cromwell, Leeds, ENGLAND