Guys, another thought here. I think the Europeans (not only the British) are using climate change as an argument to force businesses to invest in green technology, whether developing new green products like solar panels, wind mills etc or investing in energy producing schemes.
My electric company is willing to pay me GBP 0.44 per kw hour for 20 years if I put solar panels on my house (have to have a south facing roof and mine isn't big enough). Over the 20 year period, it will take me 12 years to break even on my investment. And the solar panels are 14% efficient. Note 14%, on 86%. One other point here, Germany is closing its nuclear plants by 2021, and replacing the nuc plants with 50 coal fired units (obviously they have been cleaned up).
The thinking behind the policy is continue funding renewable energy sources to meet the long term enviornmental goals of the UK (and it wants to lead the world in being green).
Yanks don't pull into line quite as quickly as Europeans, and by US standards can't see the logic of doing this under the current economic and political conditions.