Government plans to make Britain a “Clean Energy Superpower”
The Government’s Plan for Change announced on 5 December included “Making Britain a Clean Energy Superpower” as one of its “five national missions”. The key drivers for this “mission” are energy security for the UK, tackling the climate crisis and accelerating decarbonisation to meet the UK’s net zero target, the impact of increasing energy prices on billpayers, and the opportunities for investment and job creation across the UK in the clean energy and technology sectors.
The Plan for Change sets out a target of at least 95% of energy in the UK being generated from clean sources, such as renewables, by 2030. This lowers the prime minster’s previous pledge to achieve 100% clean energy but aligns with advice from National Energy System Operator (NESO), the independent body established by the Energy Act 2023 to advise on decarbonisation in the UK. NESO’s recent report Clean Power 2030 recognised that there may be a need for “gas-fired generation [to be] used only rarely to ensure security of supply, primarily during sustained periods of low wind” but that it should account for less than 5% of the energy generated in the UK.
The actions the Government plans to take to support Making Britain a Clean Energy Superpower will be set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan which is expected to be published before the end of 2024.
It is worth noting that that one of the Plan for Change’s milestones was “rebuilding Britain with 1.5 million homes in England and fast-tracking planning decisions”. Given that construction is a highly energy and carbon-intensive industry and the built environment is responsible for roughly 40% of carbon emissions, it will be interesting to see how the government seeks to balance the impact of this milestone against the UK’s net zero ambitions.
For more information on the Government’s sustainability-related proposals and actions since the election, please see New government switches on to solar energy and What the new Labour government means for sustainability in the UK.
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