Plans to “green” the UK’s power system will protect consumers from future energy crises and has the potential to “bring down bills for good”, the government has said.
Achieving clean electricity by 2030 was a key election promise for the Labour party, and reiterated by Keir Starmer last week as he outlined government ‘milestones’.
To reach the target, ministers are working on a radical shake-up of UK energy and clunky planning systems, including at least doubling clean power sources.
It is hoped the plans will eventually lower bills by reducing the cost of electricity.
But the government could not say when electricity bills would fall, and it faces the risk that any benefits won’t be felt in people’s pockets until after the next general election.
It also accepted that the massive amount of new infrastructure needed could bring difficult trade-offs, including impacts on communities and nature.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said the government is “embarking on the most ambitious reforms to our energy system in generations”.
He added: “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.”
What are the changes?
The government is aiming to get at least 95% of power from clean sources – predominantly wind, solar and nuclear – by 2030.
The target is five years earlier than the Tories’ plan for clean power by 2035.
To get there, the Clean Power Plan published today outlines a raft of far-reaching measures, including:
- at least doubling current offshore wind, onshore…
