From heating and lighting to transport, industry and communications, energy is fundamental to almost everything we do. We expect it to be available whenever we want it, to be affordable, safe and environmentally sustainable. It is only when something goes wrong - for instance, when families are left without heating and light after severe storms or when the lights go out in California - that we realize how much modern industrialized countries depend upon extremely complicated energy systems.

The new energy policy that we set out in this white paper is designed to provide this.It reflects, and will reinforce, our wider commitment to sustainable development which challenges us to find ways to achieve economic, social and environmental objectives at the same time.

Reprinted with Permission from Crown Copyright