Paul Garlick, the managing director of Jersey Gas, speaking at yesterday’s presentation Picture: MATTHEW HOTTON (00824000)

THE managing director of Jersey Gas has branded a call by the Environment Minister for an independent study into the carbon footprint of imported electricity a ‘smokescreen’.

Senator Freddie Cohen said last week that he wanted the fuel companies to pay for the study after a war of words broke out between Jersey Electricity and Jersey Gas over both the cost and carbon footprint of imported electricity.

The row broke out after it was revealed that new ‘green’ building by-laws were being introduced by Planning which would make it harder to get access to a gas supply and easier to get electricity. Planning claimed that electricity in the Island had a lower carbon fuel count, compared to gas.

But Paul Garlick, the managing director of Jersey Gas, said at a media presentation yesterday that the building by-laws could put the future of the Island’s gas supply in jeopardy. ‘The JEC and Planning have not come to any presentations we have held on this subject,’ said Mr Garlick.

‘The last thing they want is any factual information to say they haven’t made the right choice. This is just a smokescreen by Freddie Cohen.

‘He is saying that he will delay the building by-laws by six months, but I could make them fuel-neutral in less than a day, if he wants to pass them to me. All I would need to do is change about 20 words. If these by-laws get the go-ahead they will not allow Islanders to switch over from electricity to gas and heating oil.’