The UK Government has launched a roadmap today to achieve its mission to create a clean power system by 2030. Key elements of the plan include:
- Pledging to reach the target whilst bringing down electricity bills for good.
- Accepting the advice of the National Energy System Operator on the definition of clean power, which requires the UK to produce more clean energy that it consumes and for clean power to represent at least 95% of total generation.
- Confirming that the same gas capacity as we have now will be required in 2030 but it will be moved to a back-up role by 2030, providing 5% or less of generation over a typical weather year.
- Massively ramping up renewables, with the backbone for the power system to be provided by offshore wind. The government plans to triple offshore wind and solar power generation and double onshore wind over the next 6 years.
- Launch a new business model to provide low carbon dispatchable power for when renewable generation is low, which is likely to focus on use of gas CCS and hydrogen, with green hydrogen flagged as likely to be the most cost effective long term form of back-up power to replace gas. A decision on extending use of biomass for power beyond 2027, which is classified as clean power but causes a high level of emissions, has not yet been made.
- Reforms to the grid connection queue to strip out projects that are not ready to connect and prioritise those projects which are a strategic priority and ready.
- To accelerate the development of the grid so that it ready to transport the vast new levels of renewable power being produced.
- To reform the planning system to prioritise energy projects, including giving the government the power to make decisions over large generation projects considered to be nationally significant, including onshore wind farms over 100MW. They will bring forward a Planning Bill. They commit to compensate communities affected although no details have been given.
- To expand the renewable auction process so projects can get funding agreed before their planning permission has been finalised, to stop delays and get more projects online. They will consider extending the length of Contracts for Difference beyond 15 years which can bring down bills.
- Pledging to support consumer to access cheap power when renewable generation is high by amending market rules and helping households to use appliances when electricity is cheaper such as by charging their car overnight and selling it back to the grid.
In response, Ed Matthew, the UK Programme Director at E3G said:
“We welcome the government’s comprehensive roadmap to turbocharge the clean power mission. The electricity system was originally built to use fossil fuels and now needs now to be re-wired to ensure the cheaper price of renewables can be reflected in household energy bills, bringing them down for good and helping ensure foreign dictators can never again hold our country to ransom. The plan will boost those efforts but to bring down energy bills the government must prioritise major policy reforms to end profiteering, cut the cost of investment and help households to access clean power when it is cheapest to do so. The prize is affordable, clean power and a decarbonised power system which can be a beacon of light for the world to follow.”
