UK energy firms call on chancellor to boost carbon tax

SSE and Drax tell Philip Hammond they need longer-term clarity on price floor if they are to replace coal power plants

Two of Britain's biggest energy companies have called on Philip Hammond to strengthen a carbon tax that has driven a dramatic collapse in coal power generation, arguing it is essential for the shift to cleaner energy.

SSE, the UK's second largest energy supplier, and Drax, which runs the country's biggest power station in North Yorkshire, urged the chancellor to use his autumn budget to shed light on the tax's fate into the 2020s.