Margaret Gilmore reports: The key to a sustainable future

The announcement on Thursday should mean that within the next five years almost 1.5m new homes will rely entirely on hydro-electric or wind power for their energy needs.

The Energy Minister, John Battle, is also set to announce details of subsidies to ensure that these customers do not have to pay more than consumers who use cheaper electricity created by burning coal and gas.

Cleaner electricity for the future

The policy is intended to help the government achieve its target of ensuring that at least 10% of Britain's power consumption is met by renewable energy within the next 12 years.

It will also help reduce the amount of polluting greenhouse gases produced by burning oil and gas.

Greenhouse gases trap heat inside the earth's atmosphere, so causing temperatures to increase and sea levels to rise as the polar ice caps melt.