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  Wind and wave power to push out fossil fuels
Updated 24 February 2003, 14.46
 Wind turbines
Wind and wave power are set to become one of the main ways of making electricity, according to the government's new environment plans.

It means less energy will be produced by burning fossil fuels, which increases global warming.

Click here to see what causes global warming and what u can do

Wind and wave power are called "renewable energy" and are seen as more environmentally-friendly ways of making power.

Fossil fuel burning
Fossil fuel burning

Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the plans in what's called the Energy White Paper - a report which sets out policies which could become law.

Greener power

The paper says 10% of electricity should come from renewable - or green - energy by 2010 and hopes that will rise to 20% by 2020.

At the moment, only 7% of electricity comes from green energy.

It's hoped the plans mean greener ways of making power will cut the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere to 60% of 1990 levels by 2050.

Click here to talk about the environment

And no more nuclear power plants will be built for the time being. At the moment, the UK gets 25% of its electricity from nuclear power.

But critics say the plans mean the cost of producing energy will be more, which means electricity bills could go up.

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