Britannia to rule the waves?

Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves!
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.

You've probably sang it enthusiastically at some point in your life, but now the lyric may have a slightly different meaning.

Many of us feel that we are becoming slaves to our energy supplier and we are always looking at a way to break free from the shackles imposed on our finances by high gas and electricity bills.

Green energy is becoming a very viable source of power in the UK.

An increasing number of smarthomes are cropping up and many houses are adopting sustainability measures.

But a new government proposal could mean that once again, we harness the powers of the waves around the British Isles.

MPs on the Commons' Energy and Climate Change Committee yesterday (February 20th) released a report on the future of marine renewables, which states that the UK could become a global leader in tidal power equipment and expertise if authorities act now.

Already seven of the eight full-scale prototypes currently working in the world are situated in British waters.

The government has also recognised that renewable marine sources could provide up to 27GW of energy in the UK by 2050.

"We are extremely well placed to lead the world in wave and tidal technologies, which could potentially bring significant benefits in manufacturing and jobs, as well an abundant supply of reliable low-carbon electricity," said committee chairman Tim Yeo.

He added that sea energy needs to remain a priority for the government to allow the UK to remain at the forefront of developments in the technology.

A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokeswoman said the government was very committed to the growth of the industry.

"[We] have already taken great strides to make this happen. Last month Climate Change Minister Greg Barker launched the South West Marine Energy Park and there are plans to create similar parks in Scotland and Northern Ireland," she said.