Government sets out clean energy plan
The UK Government has revealed is plans for reform to the country’s energy system, including strategies around energy security and tackling the climate crisis.
The plan provides the foundation for the UK to build an energy system that “can bring down bills for households and businesses for good”, the government claimed.
The independent National Energy System Operator (NESO) will set out pathways to a clean power system in 2030, and a plan for building new energy infrastructure on a needs-based assessment has been outlined, with billions of pounds of clean energy projects aiming to be delivered.
It includes “cleaning up a dysfunctional grid system” by prioritising the most important projects and ending the ‘first-come-first served’ system; speeding-up decisions on planning permission by empowering planners to prioritise critical energy infrastructure; and expanding the renewable auction process to stop delays and get more projects connected.
According to the government, the reform could deliver £40 billion a year in mainly private investment in homegrown clean power projects and infrastructure across the country.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
“A new era of clean electricity for our country offers a positive vision of Britain’s future with energy security, lower bills, good jobs and climate action. This can only happen with big, bold change and that is why the government is embarking on the most ambitious reforms to our energy system in generations. ”
Greg Jackson, CEO, Octopus, said:
“We welcome the prospect of slashing red tape for grid connections, overturning the onshore wind ban in England and allowing more special offers to slash energy bills. Britain’s high energy prices stem from years of bad rules that don’t allow us to build renewable energy in the places it’s needed, or make use of cheap wind when it’s abundant, so these are positive steps.”
Fintan Slye, Chief Executive, NESO, said:
“We welcome the publication of the government’s Clean Power Action Plan. We are pleased that our independent advice on how Britain can achieve clean power by 2030 has formed such an integral part of the Plan set out by the government today.”
Jon Butterworth, CEO of National Gas, said:
“National Gas welcomes the government’s Clean Power Action Plan, which firmly recognises the critical role of the gas transmission system – ensuring a secure transition for households and businesses across the country. Gas will continue to play an essential role as the nation’s strategic power reserve when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, as demonstrated this week when we saw the need for gas hit a record high – with more gas supplied to power stations than at any point in the last 5 years.”
Energy UK CEO Dhara Vyas said:
“We support the need for fundamental changes that speed up the planning process, enable the swift construction of critical infrastructure, cutting the time for grid connections and enabling more homes and more businesses to benefit from the expansion of clean energy far more quickly. A clean power system must also include the necessary expansion of other established and emerging clean technologies, including storage and flexibility.”
Darren Davidson, head of Siemens Energy and Siemens Gamesa in the UK, said:
“Siemens Gamesa has installed over 10 GW of offshore wind in the UK, which is nearly 70% of the UK’s installed wind operational capacity. To date, we have manufactured over 2,300 offshore wind turbine blades at our factory in Hull. We have over 1,300 employees in Hull, after recruiting more than 600 people in the last 12 months. Each worker is playing a vital role in the energy transition.”
Shaun Spiers, executive director at Green Alliance, said:
“The government’s new plan sets them up to succeed in 2025, a make-or-break year. They rightly focus on getting unprecedented amounts of offshore wind built, and reforming a queuing system for connections to the power grid that had tied up projects until the middle of the 2030s. It will also be vital to engage seriously with communities to win maximum support for this national endeavour.”
RenewableUK’s Director of Future Electricity Systems, Barnaby Wharton, said:
“It’s great to see the plan set out targets for delivering the batteries, network infrastructure, and flexible technologies that will enable the roll out of renewable energy, as well as specific targets for wind and solar farms. We would encourage the government to maintain this focus on renewables, collaborating with the sector on industrial strategy to ensure the UK grasps the potential jobs and industrial investment which could come alongside these new clean energy developments.”
Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley said:
“Getting to clean power by 2030 is tough but achievable; it will require unprecedented pace by government, industry and regulators. We’re already helping to speed things up and unlock the investment needed by cutting red tape, fast-tracking grid expansion and getting more clean power projects connected. We’re taking a tough line and will hold the industry to account when it comes to the sector delivering on time and on budget. ”
Jess Ralston, Head of Energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said:
“The UK has paid the price for over-reliance on expensive gas over the past few years and the crisis is not over yet. Accelerating the rollout of renewables will stabilise prices and clean technology like electric heat pumps will increasingly run off British wind and solar in contrast to gas boilers which will increasingly be run off foreign gas imports. Continuing to accelerate this rollout is the way we will avoid being on the hook for expensive gas in future.”
Tania Kumar, Net Zero Director, CBI, said:
“Today’s action plan clearly addresses a number of blockers businesses have long cited from grid connections to planning processes. 2030 is a challenging target for industry – but it is achievable with this type of relentless focus. Ultimately this is a milestone to net zero by 2050. ”
John Pettigrew, CEO, National Grid, said:
A focus on agility and speed of reforms will be key. At National Grid, we remain committed to playing our part in delivering the government’s plan and working in partnership to ensure a reliable and affordable transition to cleaner energy sources.
Lisa Christie, UK Director of Public and Regulatory Affairs at Vattenfall, said:
Rebuilding the UK’s energy infrastructure will bring jobs and investment, boost our energy security, and help keep bills lower for consumers. At Vattenfall we believe the UK’s 2030 clean power target is achievable, but now government and industry need to move at pace to get the job done.
Sue Ferns, Senior Deputy General Secretary of Prospect, said:
“To be successful that same spirit of ambition and urgency must be applied to ensuring an adequate supply of skilled workers and a just transition for workers in carbon-intensive industries.”
Gus Jaspert, Managing Director Marine, The Crown Estate:
“To achieve these ambitious targets, it is more important than ever that we work together to maximise the potential of our marine space, which also means prioritising nature recovery and supporting the many other industries that rely on this vital resource.”
Lucy Yu, CEO and Founder at Centre for Net Zero, said:
“The British public’s support will be key, and the government must ensure clean power delivery has their interests at heart to keep us on track for 2030 and the critical decades beyond. Here, the promised Low Carbon Flexibility Roadmap and the decision on wholesale market reform can have a pivotal role in lowering bills and attracting private investment for clean energy projects.”
Image from Shutterstock
