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THE UK coalition government has set out its energy policies up to 2050 in its first Annual Energy Statement which includes 32 points for action.

In parliament, Chris Huhne, the energy and climate change secretary, said that the plans are the “most comprehensive, long-term analysis ever undertaken by government” and will ensure that the UK’s energy supply is secure. He warned, however, that difficult choices and trade-offs will have to be made if the UK is to meet its ambitious carbon-cutting policies of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050.

The 32 points in the energy statement are all under four broad headings – Saving energy and supporting vulnerable customers; Secure low-carbon energy; Managing our energy legacy; and Driving action on climate change at home and abroad.

Under the first point, financial help will be offered to householders to insulate their homes properly and install smart meters, including a “super-priority” group to ensure that those most at risk, such as low-income families and the elderly, receive the help they require. Public and private-sector businesses will be helped to lower their own energy use.

Ensuring energy supplies are secure will include liaising more closely with oil and gas companies and encouraging the European Union to increase emissions-cutting targets. The government will also look to help communities wishing to develop local renewable energy solutions, reforming the energy market, and revisit carbon capture and storage (CCS) and nuclear options.

The “energy legacy” refers mainly to the UK’s nuclear waste, and the government has pledged to find a long-term solution to its disposal.

Driving climate change action globally will involve action five main areas, including providing sufficient finance to enable countries to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions and promoting the development of low-carbon technologies. In the UK, the government will seek to ensure that targets set under the Climate Change Act 2008 are met.

As well as the energy statement, the government has published the 2050 Pathways Analysis and the Pathways Calculator. As the title suggests, the 2050 Pathways Analysis examines six possible scenarios of energy use in the UK between now and 2050, comparing them to a reference case which assumes no attempts to lower emissions and no emergence of new technologies. The six pathways, alpha to zeta, include a balanced effort across all sectors to reduce consumption and explore renewable alternatives, what would happen without technologies such as CCS and nuclear power, and what would happen with limited supplies of bioenergy and low investment in renewables. The government has stressed that the report is simply a framework and has asked for feedback by 5 October 2010.

The Pathways Calculator is an online tool available to professionals and the public, giving a graphical representation of the impact different choices would have on the UK’s energy demand, supply and greenhouse gas emissions. Factors affecting demand include levels of home insulation, heating sources for homes and businesses, and how freight is transported. Supply measures include the number of nuclear power stations, the proportion of imported energy and how much is produced by different forms of renewable energy. The calculator is the first version and as with the analysis document the government has called for feedback and suggestions.

Huhne told parliament: “The era of cheap, abundant energy is over. We must find smart ways of making energy go further, and value it for the costly resource it is, not take it for granted. And even as we reduce overall demand for energy, we may need to meet a near doubling in demand for electricity, as we shift industry, transport and heating onto the grid.”

The Annual Energy Statement and the 2050 analysis and calculator can be found on the Department for Energy and Climate (DECC) change website.