Britain launches energy savings drive

A 30-page document unveiled by the British government states that the country could be saving massive amounts of energy through efficiency strategies. British Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said the government was looking at ways to play a leadership role in energy efficiency. He said the country could be saving as much as 196 terrawatt hours of energy -- the equivalent of nearly two dozen 1 gigawatt power stations operating full time -- by 2020 through cost-effective energy savings efforts. The measure includes more than $60 million in government funding for research into ways in better energy use. "It shows that there is a clear role for ambitious government leadership and spells out how we will act to connect finance with demand, encourage innovation and make energy efficiency information more accessible to the consumer," said Barker. The strategy follows a report from The Guardian newspaper in London stating that a watchdog group said the wholesale gas market for the country was rigged.