Between the Broadsheets

Power bills are set to soar for millions of families as temperatures plummeted below freezing across much of Britain and oil traded above US$100 a barrel for the second day running - The Times

Approval is being sought for a project that could further increase the output of renewable energy from the hills around the west coast community that was once known as the Electric Village. Alcan Aluminium has applied to Scottish ministers for consent to construct a hydro-electric power scheme in the rugged hills overlooking Kinlochleven in Lochaber - The Press and Journal

RWE Npower, the energy supplier, is expected today to announce a double digit increase in gas and electricity bills for the bulk of its 4M customers, many of whom face freezing temperatures in Scotland and the north of England – Financial Times

A group of scientists and academics today condemns as undemocratic and possibly illegal the government's plans to force through a new generation of nuclear power stations to meet Britain's energy needs for the next 30 years – The Guardian

Gordon Brown has been challenged to prove his green credentials by blocking plans to build Britain's first coal-fired power station for 24 years. Environmental activists condemned a decision by councillors to support an application to demolish an outdated plant in Kent and replace it with another that burns coal, widely regarded as the dirtiest fossil fuel - The Independent

Royal Dutch Shell chief executive Jeroen Van der Veer has warned against setting higher targets for emissions reductions. The chief executive of Europe's largest oil company said the European Union's target of a 20pc reduction in emissions between 1990 and 2020 could be achieved - The Telegraph

Using biofuels made from corn, sugar cane and soy could have a greater environmental impact than burning fossil fuels, according to experts. Although the fuels themselves emit fewer greenhouse gases, they all have higher costs in terms of biodiversity loss and destruction of farmland - The Guardian