Alistair Darling has warned that the lights could go out unless the issue of the UK's energy needs are urgently addressed by Holyrood and Westminster.

Alistair Darling has warned that the lights could go out unless the issue of the UK's energy needs are urgently addressed by Holyrood and Westminster.

The trade and industry secretary is to unveil the government's plans to limit climate change damage and secure the country's energy supply with an impassioned plea for a serious approach to be taken to meeting the challenge of energy supplies.

He will say it is essential to make the UK more self-sufficient and less dependent on foreign energy imports.

Speaking exclusively to The Herald in his London office, Mr Darling, who is expected to become Chancellor in Gordon Brown's government, said: "Whether you are in Westminster or Holyrood, climate change and security of supply affects everybody. We do not want the lights to go out some time in the next decade.

"We will be working closely with the devolved administrations. It will become something of a litmus test for every government, not just the administrations here in the UK but across Europe: what are they prepared to do about what is a growing problem."

The government's energy strategy, underpinned by its ambition to cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2050, will essentially be split into three parts: a stress on energy efficiency, a recognition of the forms of generation on offer, including renewables and nuclear, and international agreements that will enforce carbon reduction strategies across the world.

The government's commitment to the nuclear option will be less categorical than it might have liked. Earlier this year the High Court ordered it to provide more extensive information on the economics of nuclear power. Plans for any new nuclear build in Scotland is likely to be thwarted at Holyrood by the SNP.

Mr Darling believed the government was on course to meet its renewables target but was concerned that since its writ on planning does not run in Scotland it will not be able to cut down on carbon emissions as quickly as it should.

Citing objections to the Beauly/Denny link, offshore developments, wind farms, and nuclear development, he insisted that urgent decisions and rethinking had to take place.

"What will happen if we don't start renewing plant is that the gap between the day-to-day requirements and the supply base becomes very narrow, and in 10 years will be narrower than you want. In about 2015 all our coal-fired stations start coming out of commission, the nuclear fleet starts to get decommissioned, so the gap between what we'll need and what we'll get becomes narrower.

"What I say is, if we are serious about carbon reduction, and we want to make sure we have secure supplies, no part of the UK can say, well, it doesn't apply to me. Someone living in Edinburgh wants his lights to go on as much as someone living in London."

Mr Darling concedes that the government may have been too slow to address the problem. "Yes, perhaps government should have thought about this a long time ago but if we are guilty then so are other people. But what I don't understand now is how there are some people still who say there is not a problem. The Tories' line on nuclear is yes, but not until we've failed. Well, it takes 10/15 years to build a nuclear power station. If you are told the lights are going to go out next week, there is not a lot you can do.

He added: "So the problem is urgent and I think most people recognise that."