Environment takes a back seat in Government's energy review

A strong presumption against new gas -fired power stations and reform of the electricity market to remove distortions against coal -fired generation form the centrepieces of the Government's long -awaited energy review . But Ministers' assurances that increased coal burn will not jeopardise greenhouse gas reduction targets are unconvincing - not least because the DTI failed to carry out an environmental appraisal of the new policy , in contravention of official guidelines . Eastern Group is now under pressure to fit flue gas desulphurisation (FGD ) equipment to one of its stations - although PowerGen seems to have escaped a long -standing commitment to fit FGD to its Ferrybridge station