UK energy strategy – live: PM promises ‘clean power’ while boosting fossil fuel drilling as full plan revealed
Strategy set to shun onshore wind power and clear way to increased oil and gas production
Boris Johnson has promised “clean, affordable, secure power” and to keep drilling for fossil fuels in the North Sea in plans to bolster UK energy independence and security.
The strategy – released on Thursday afternoon – pledges to boost production across a host of energy sources in the UK, including wind, solar, nuclear and hydrogen.
It also vows to give North Sea oil and gas fields a “new lease of life”.
Ahead of its full release, the government faced criticism for failing to slash energy demand in the first place, as well as household bills in the immediate term.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the UK business secretary, admitted it would do little to alleviate soaring fuels bills now, saying the strategy was more a “three-, four- or five-year answer”.
The strategy aims to bolster domestic energy security as rising international gas prices send UK household bills soaring, while the country is moving away from Russian fuel in light of the invasion of Ukraine.
‘Missed opportunity'
The chair of the business, energy and industrial strategy committee says the stratey is “yet another missed opportunity” to help bill payers.
Labour MP Darren Jones called it “a failure to announce funding for the home insulation works required to reduce the amount of heating needed in the first place”.
He has also tweeed this:
The insulation question
One of the main threads of criticism on the plans is the lack of focus on energy efficiency.
Insulation has been touted as a key way to tackling both the climate crisis and reducing dependency on Russian fossil fuels by slashing how much energy is needed in the first place.
Recent analysis found upgrading Britain’s housing stock would even allow the country to sever ties with Russian gas quicker than more domestic fossil fuel drilling would.
Harry Cockburn, our environment correspondent, reported at the time:
Heat pumps and insulation ‘fastest way to end reliance on Russian gas’
Criticism from green groups
The plan - despite vowing to boost clean energy - is coming under fierce criticism from environmental groups.
Tessa Khan from Uplift, which campaigns against fossil fuels, says it is “a betrayal of the millions of families across the UK who are being pushed to the brink by spiking energy bills caused by our reliance on gas”.
“Instead of supporting them with a drive to insulate homes and boost our access to cheap, clean renewable energy, the government has sided with oil and gas companies, who offer no solutions to our energy affordability crisis,” she says.
Meanwhile Danny Gross from Friends of the Earth says: “The astonishing lack of action on energy efficiency will leave people freezing, desperate and out of pocket next winter.
“This fails as a strategy, as it does not do the most obvious things that would reduce energy demand and protect households from price hikes.”
Plans will do nothing for bills or climate crisis, Labour says
Ed Milliband, the shadow secretary for climate change, tells The Independent:
“Boris Johnson has completely caved to his own backbenchers and now, ludicrously, his own energy strategy has failed on the sprint we needed on onshore wind and solar- the cheapest, cleanest forms of homegrown power.
“After 12 years in government, families are paying the price of Conservative failure. This relaunch won’t cut bills, won’t deliver energy independence, and won’t tackle the climate crisis. Labour would deliver a green energy sprint. This government just cannot deliver.”
Government tackles over fossil fuel drilling and not doing more on energy efficiency
The government is promising to boost “clean energy” with the plans.
But climate academics are pointing out their green credentials are undermined by two key factors: a lack of stronger action on energy efficiency and more fossil fuel drilling in the North Sea.
Professor Patrick Devine-Wright from the University of Exeter says: “The information released so far focusses on supply and largely ignores the importance of reducing demand for energy.”
“If demand is neglected in the new strategy, this is a vital omission that could put the UK government at odds with the IPCC,” the lead author of the landmark International Panel for Climate Change report released on Monday said.
He added: “The evidence suggests that we could reduce global emissions by 40 to 70 per cent by 2050 via demand-side actions – and there are certainly huge opportunities to cut energy demand in the UK.”
Professor Michael Grubb, a professor of energy and climate change at University College London, said: “In the aftermath of the IPCC reports on climate change, it is – rightly - a tough sell trying to tell the world that we need to move away from fossil fuels, whilst aiming to squeeze out every drop from the North Sea.”
Support from industry
The government has, however, been praised by members of the energy industry.
Examples - shared in a government press release - include:
Sam Laidlaw from Neptune Energy: “The Energy Security Strategy breathes new life into the North Sea, giving investors confidence to allocate significant capital to the diverse range of energy supply we will need through the energy transition.”
Clare Jackson from Hydrogen UK: “We are thrilled the government has doubled down on hydrogen by increasing the production target to 10GW, recognising that hydrogen is a key part of the net zero transition.”
Ben van Beurden, the chief executive of Shell: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure an orderly transition to net zero while bolstering the UK’s energy security and Shell is ready to play our part.
Boris Johnsons says nuclear energy is ‘reliable and safe’
The Prime Minister took to Twitter to reassure the public that nuclear energy is a “reliable, safe and constant source of clean energy”.
What is going to be in the energy security strategy?
Lots of reactions coming in on the energy security strategy. Here is a reminder of what it is all about:
It also includes:
- A licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects planned to launch in Autumn
- Investment to boost UK production of heat pumps
We are still waiting for the full strategy to be unveiled. But Rob Merrick has a preview of what we can expect:
Nuclear power at heart of new energy strategy, but onshore wind farm curbs to stay
Government has ‘fundamentally misunderstood the immediate climate challenge'
Luke Fletcher, director at Pollination said the government has “fundamentally misunderstood the immediate climate challenge” by focussing on solutions that take years to implement and even longer to have an impact.
“The government needs to refocus on options that can be deployed now,” he said. “The strategy fails to detail demand-side opportunities, including energy efficiency and home insulation measures.
“There is clear public support for more renewable power to help guarantee the UK’s energy security, but more guidance will be needed on exactly what this will look like.”
Mr Fletcher added that onshore wind is missing from the strategy, which he called a “major absence” citing recent research from the European Climate Foundation which found that almost 70% of people in the UK would support new onshore wind projects near where they live.
He said: “Delaying the implementation of onshore wind solutions is another nail in the coffin of the climate crisis and the lack of urgency demonstrated simply highlights a lack of understanding of the challenges and risks we face.”
‘Putin will be happy’: Government’s energy plan will keep UK hooked on fossil fuels, experts warn
The prime minister was accused of having “completely caved to his own backbenchers” after the government abandoned plans for a major expansion of onshore wind farms and ignored calls to focus on energy efficiency to cut wastage and reduce costs.
The strategy, set out by ministers on Wednesday night and due to be launched in full on Thursday, will instead revive nuclear power in the UK, ramp up oil and gas drilling, and push for new hydrogen production, writes environment correspondent Harry Cockburn.
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