Placing the UK's green energy

The UK’s ambitious renewable energy targets raise questions about how new electricity generators will be connected to the grid and how costs should be spread between system operators and generators. Neil Cornelius and Etienne Gabel look at the latest thinking on the debate

Under both EU directives and national laws, the UK has taken on ambitious renewable targets. Following the European Commission Directive on Renewable Energy, which came into force on June 25, 2009, the country has targeted 15% of total energy consumption to be sourced from renewables by 2020. This objective represents an almost seven-fold increase from current levels – the most challenging increase of any EU nation (and a target already derided by many as an impossibility).

The UK’s electricity