The government is committing billions of pounds to an “unproven” green technology for reducing planet-warming gases without considering the impact on consumers’ bills, MPs have warned.Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) facilities prevent carbon dioxide, produced by industry, being released into the atmosphere by capturing and storing it underground.In October, the government pledged nearly £22bn for CCUS facilities and three quarters of the money will be raised from consumer bills.But on Friday, the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee raised serious concerns that the government had not properly assessed the financial impact on households and businesses.”It is an unproven technology, certainly in this country. And we are concerned this policy is going to have a very significant effect on consumers’ and industry’s electricity bills,” said Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, a cross-party group of MPs which scrutinises public spending.The government said that it would formally respond to the committee, but that CCUS was a “necessity not an option” for reaching its climate goals.It said in a statement that this type of technology would make Britain’s energy system secure, something that would lower electricity costs and bills. The UK has a target to reach “net zero” – meaning no longer adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, by 2050. As the country switches to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels for heating homes and running cars, greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide, also known as CO2, will fall …
