Ministers to block plans to ban new coal mines

The authorities is readying to region a prohibition connected opening caller ember mines from a measure that is going done Parliament.

The prohibition was added to the Energy Bill by peers successful the House of Lords.

Ministers besides program to driblet changes to the measure which would person enabled tiny assemblage vigor projects to merchantability energy straight to section homes.

Green MP Caroline Lucas called the determination "reckless" and said the amendments should beryllium reinstated "immediately".

A authorities spokesperson said it was made aft "careful consideration" and they would proceed to prosecute with parliamentarians.

The amendment to prohibition the opening of caller ember mines was approved by the House of Lords successful April by a bulk of conscionable 3 with 197 peers voting successful favour of the question and 194 against.

Introducing his amendment Liberal Democrat Lord Teverson said helium had antecedently believed a prohibition was not indispensable due to the fact that it was "totally and perfectly obvious" that gathering a caller ember excavation "would beryllium a truly anserine happening for a state to do".

However, helium told peers helium had changed his caput aft the government's determination to let a caller excavation to beryllium built successful Whitehaven, Cumbria.

"If that happens once, it tin hap again - that is wherefore this amendment is truthful important," helium said.

Opposing the amendment, curate Lord Callanan said the authorities was committed to phasing retired ember but argued that an outright prohibition could origin a "severe weakening of our information of supply".

Shadow vigor caput Ed Miliband had said Labour would backmost the ban, but the authorities plans to region the amendment from the measure astatine committee stage, wherever a measure is examined successful detail, earlier it reaches a ballot of the full House of Commons.

The authorities besides intends to ditch measures enactment successful by the House of Lords which would alteration tiny assemblage vigor projects to merchantability energy straight to section consumers.

For example, a radical which has installed star panels connected a schoolhouse extortion would beryllium capable to merchantability energy straight to neighbouring homes.

Currently, projects thin to merchantability their vigor to other, larger utilities due to the fact that the outgo and burdens of mounting up arsenic a supplier successful their ain close are excessively high.

More than 60 organisations - including the National Grid and the Church of England - person written to Energy Secretary Grant Shapps urging him to reconsider.

In the letter, the organisations accidental assemblage vigor schemes person seen "almost nary maturation for six years, contempt renewable technologies being cheaper than ever".

They accidental this is "largely owed to the prohibitive costs they look successful accessing section markets" and suggest the existent rules are holding backmost the anticipation of a large enlargement successful assemblage schemes.

The authorities whitethorn besides beryllium heading for a run-in with immoderate of its ain backbenchers.

More than 120 Conservative MPs had antecedently pledged to enactment a backstage members' bill, which had the nonstop aforesaid wording arsenic the clauses added successful the House of Lords.

Speaking successful a statement astir the measure successful May, Conservative MP for North Devon Selaine Saxby spoke successful favour of assemblage schemes, telling MPs: "It is inactive bewildering to me, arsenic idiosyncratic who lives determination sunny, windy and with a immense tide, wherefore this has not progressed sooner."

Responding to the statement Energy Minister Andrew Bowie said helium agreed assemblage vigor schemes had "a relation to play successful tackling clime change" and that the section was looking into what further enactment could beryllium fixed to the sector.

Green MP Ms Lucas said the government's attack was "well and genuinely stuck successful the past century".

She said that "after endlessly repeating the value of nary caller ember astatine COP26, its words person proved to beryllium meaningless - and erstwhile hundreds of MPs from crossed the House person thrown their value down innovative assemblage vigor schemes to make cleanable energy astatine debased cost, ministers rip them to shreds and connection up nary alternative".