Nov. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K. will face blackouts during periods of peak power demand in less than 10 years unless more money is spent on natural-gas and power infrastructure, a London consulting firm said.

Peak demand could outstrip supply as much as 23 percent by 2015, the consultants, LogicaCMG Plc, said in an e-mailed statement. That could have an impact on the economy worth 108 billion pounds ($205 billion) a year, LogicaCMG said, calling for the government's current review of energy policy to provide clarity on planning and on the price of carbon emissions.

The U.K. government will publish a white paper on energy in March 2007. The secretary of state for trade and industry, Alistair Darling, has assumed responsibility for energy policy, replacing the former energy minister, Malcolm Wicks.

``The energy white paper will be absolutely key in providing a clear statement on how the price of carbon will be delivered and clarity on planning applications,'' Ted Hopcroft, LogicaCMG's strategy director for energy and utilities, said in a telephone interview.

LogicaCMG, whose clients include Total SA and Electricite de France SA, said the U.K. could face an energy gap after aging nuclear, coal- and oil-fired power plants are closed. Tighter restrictions on emissions of greenhouse gases will contribute and influence investment decisions. New nuclear power plants will not be built in time to fill the gap, Hopcroft said.

Supply could fall 5 percent short of demand in four years, LogicaCMG said. ``This could require energy-intensive industries to shut down operations at peak usage periods with an immediate cost to business of 7.9 billion pounds per year,'' it said.

The report calls for companies to look at lower-emission coal-fired plants, energy efficiency and localized power generation. Improvements getting permits for natural-gas-storage facilities is also needed, Hopcroft said, because of the U.K.'s increasing dependence on imports of gas, which will be used in part to run power stations.

``Gas is absolutely fundamental to U.K. energy supplies,'' Hopcroft said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Paul Dobson in London pdobson2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 20, 2006 19:00 EST