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Category: Energy

  • Ed Miliband – 2025 Speech to the Energy UK Conference

    Ed Miliband – 2025 Speech to the Energy UK Conference

    The speech made by Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero in London on 14 October 2025.

    Let me start by offering sincere thanks for Energy UK for hosting this conference.

    And I want to thank Dhara [Vyas] for your leadership over the last year as CEO, can you join me in giving this tribute.

    You are a brilliant champion of this industry.

    Coming here today I am once again reminded that it is an incredibly exciting time for the energy sector.

    Wherever you work, there is a sense of huge possibility for the future—and I want to thank you all for the work you are doing.

    And I am incredibly proud of everything we have achieved together over the last 15 months, it has only been possible because of our work together, including:

    Consenting record amounts of clean energy, enough to power the equivalent of more than 7.5 million homes—including just today Tillbridge solar farm, which alone will power hundreds of thousands of homes.

    We are ending the first come first served grid connections queue.

    Introducing the biggest reform of planning in a generation.

    Setting up Great British Energy.

    Investing in the biggest nuclear building programme in half a century.

    And kickstarting our carbon capture and hydrogen industries.

    None of this would have been possible without your advice, support and delivery.

    All these achievements speaks to a wider purpose, which I believe unites so many people in this room.

    Building our country’s clean energy future as part of a bigger vision of a fairer, more prosperous economy.

    Soon we’ll publish our Clean Energy Jobs Plan, which will show not just the hundreds of thousands of good jobs that already exist in this sector, but also the hundreds of thousands of new jobs we expect to be created by 2030. This making a difference.

    But of course, we also know that creating an economy for the many involves tackling the long-running cost of living crisis that so many people face.

    And that’s what I want to focus on today.

    We will be judged on the success of our mission in delivering for consumers, and rightly so.

    My case today is this:

    First, our exposure to fossil fuel markets remains the Achilles heel of our energy system, keeping bills high and giving us no long-term certainty over price.

    Second, that we face further challenges of historic under-investment in our energy system and growing electricity demand. The choice for the future is therefore what kind of energy system we want to build, not whether we want to build it at all. 

    Third, building clean energy is the right choice for the country because, despite the challenges, it is the only route to a system that can reliably bring down bills for good, and give us clean energy abundance.

    Fourth, as we build this new infrastructure, the government is determined to work with you to bring the benefits to families and businesses as quickly as possible.

    First, memories can be short in Westminster.

    But we should never forget the huge damage to family finances, business finances and the public finances caused by the energy shock we have been through in recent years—a shock that still reverberates today.

    And the reason for this damage is because the UK was and is so exposed to international fossil fuel markets due to our dependence on gas across the economy.

    Even today, wholesale gas costs for households are still 75% higher than before the energy crisis.

    If they were at pre-crisis levels, bills would be more than £200 a year lower than they are today for families.

    The same story applies to business.

    Industrial electricity prices soared at the start of the energy crisis and have remained stuck at high levels.

    So while it is true we have inherited a system of paying for network and other costs which is less weighted towards public spending than other countries, a large part of the issue facing industry in the UK is our exposure to fossil fuels.

    As UK Steel said earlier this year when talking about why energy intensive industries like theirs pay higher electricity prices in the UK than our European competitors:

    “The main driver of the price disparity is now wholesale electricity costs, driven by the UK’s reliance on natural gas power generation.”

    Going back further, this has been a long-standing weakness at the heart of the British economy and society, with half of our recessions since 1970 caused by fossil fuel shocks.

    And looking forward it remains a massive risk, particularly at a time of global instability.

    According to the Office for Budget Responsibility, if gas price spikes occurred even once every decade, it could cost the UK between 2 to 3% of GDP annually.

    So anyone who tells you we can solve the issues of energy security and affordability without addressing our reliance on fossil fuels seems to me to be ignoring the evidence before our eyes and this country’s painful recent experience.

    Second, this of course is not the only challenge we face in our energy system.

    In the years ahead, we expect a massive increase in electricity demand—around 50% by 2035 and a more than doubling by 2050.

    This is a massive opportunity for us.

    We want as a country to seize the opportunities of electric vehicles that are cheaper to run, new industries such as AI, and the benefits of electrification across the economy.

    But this task is made harder by the legacy of decades of under-investment in energy in this country to overcome.

    Whatever power sources they favour, people need to confront this reality.

    Much of the UK’s current nuclear fleet began operating in the 1980s and we haven’t brought a new nuclear power station onto the system since Sizewell B 30 years ago.

    At the same time, according to NESO, half the existing gas fleet has already been operating for over 20 years.

    To listen to some people talk, you would think there was a free pass to just carry on using unlimited gas from existing stations for the next few decades, but that is simply not the case.

    Of course, we could decide to stop building renewables and just rely on a whole new fleet of gas-fired power stations, but we need to be candid that this would involve the costs of building not just operating these plants.

    And the underinvestment we face isn’t just about generation:

    Much of the electricity grid was built in the 1960s and hasn’t been upgraded since.

    So the reality is there is no alternative to investment in both generation and the network to keep the power system running and seize the opportunities and meet the needs of the future.

    If the question therefore is not whether to build but what to build, the third part of my remarks is about why the government believes clean power is the right choice for the country.

    Let’s be absolutely clear what the cheapest sources of power are in this country, according to levelised cost estimates.

    Solar power and onshore wind.

    Strike prices for solar and onshore wind in our last auction, AR6, were nearly 50% cheaper than the levelised cost estimate to build and operate a new gas plant.

    Offshore wind, despite global cost pressures, was also cheaper than new gas.

    At a systems level, the prize of a renewables-based system, supported by nuclear and other technologies, is clear:

    It gets us off the fossil fuel rollercoaster, reducing our exposure as a country. Clean power 2030 will mean volatile gas sets the wholesale electricity price much less often than today.

    It is homegrown clean energy, which cannot be weaponised by dictators or petrostates, giving us much greater energy sovereignty.

    And it will significantly lower the wholesale costs of electricity, which will benefit heavy industry and has the potential to bring down consumer bills for good.

    At the same time, of course, wholesale prices aren’t the only costs paid for by consumers, and we need to fund investment in energy infrastructure—including in the upgrade that is now sorely needed because of previous neglect.

    In 2023 the previous government estimated four times as much transmission infrastructure needed to be built by the end of the decade as had been built since 1990.

    That network infrastructure is what is now being delivered under this government.

    Even taking this investment into account, the independent Climate Change Committee was clear in its Carbon Budget 7 advice:

    “As the electricity system decarbonises, with wind and solar displacing unabated gas, the underlying costs of electricity supply are expected to fall over time.”

    Of course, in this majority renewables system we are building, we will need a mix of energy technologies.

    That is why we are driving forward on renewables, nuclear, storage, CCUS, hydrogen, and gas will continue to play an important backup role for some time to come.

    Now as I have said, people are entitled to advocate for more fossil fuels and less, or even no more renewables as part of this mix.

    But here is the reality:

    They would leave us more exposed because we don’t control the price.

    They are more expensive to build and operate.

    They would leave us losing out in the global race for the jobs, investment and industries of the future.

    And they would drive a coach and horses through our efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

    That is why we believe that clean power is the right choice for the country.

    And the task ahead is to bear down on the costs of building, which face significant upward pressures, and work relentlessly to translate the lower wholesale costs of clean power into lower bills for consumers.

    As we face these challenges, we are looking at all the tools at our disposal:

    How public investment can help reduce costs, as we are doing through Sizewell C, for example.

    Using Reformed National Pricing to plan and build a more efficient system, which provides the right incentives to build the right generation in the right places. This is crucial to reduce constraint costs.

    And relentlessly focussing on value for money in each and every decision, as we have done for example by halving the subsidy for Drax power generation.

    And this approach will be what we apply to the upcoming auction round, AR7, and beyond, where delivering value for money is our top priority.

    We have made reforms to the auction to maximise competition between bidders and reduce the costs to consumers.

    And there are multiple pathways and technology mixes that can get us to clean power 2030.

    I want to be clear:

    We won’t buy at any price and if specific technologies aren’t competitive, we will look elsewhere.

    We will take the long-term decisions to secure the right amount of capacity at the right price for the country.

    In the coming weeks I will set the initial budget for AR7, working with the Treasury, and we will only go beyond it if it delivers clear value for money.

    As we drive towards clean power, we know that many are struggling with their bills now.

    And that takes me to the fourth part of my remarks about what we are doing to help families and businesses.

    This winter we are expanding the Warm Home Discount to give nearly three million more families on the lowest incomes £150 off their energy bills.

    We are increasing support for 7,000 energy intensive businesses.

    And we will shortly publish our Warm Homes Plan, kicking off Britain’s biggest programme of home upgrades in generations.

    Backed by £13.2 billion of public investment to upgrade up to 5 million homes over this parliament.

    The Warm Homes Plan will help families with the costs of solar, batteries, heat pumps and insulation to lower bills and tackle fuel poverty.

    In this room, we all know the potential this has to bring the benefit of clean electricity to people and lower their bills.

    This is something consumers with the means to do so are already taking advantage of.

    We want to spread those benefits much more widely so that this is not just a privilege for those who can afford it.

    Alongside this, we will reform the system of consumer protection and advice to help families make the choices that work for them and ensure the highest standards of installation.

    We also want to go further.

    That is why we will ensure new homes are built with solar and clean heating as standard.

    A common-sense policy which has been demanded by the public, championed by this industry, and will be delivered with the Future Homes Standard.

    And we don’t just want to stop at new homes.

    Solar power offers a cheap and quick way for people to generate their own energy and cut their bills by hundreds of pounds a year.

    Currently just 1.5 million homes—around 1 in 20—have solar panels installed.

    This is a massive opportunity to cut bills using the free resource of the sun.

    I am determined to extend this possibility to millions more families and I want to work with you to do it.

    So this is our plan: pursuing clean power by 2030 and bringing the benefits to families as quickly as possible to help with the pressures of affordability that so many face.

    The final point I want to make is this.

    There are two roads opening up for Britain, in a way that hasn’t been true for the last two decades.

    One road, a sprint to clean power—a partnership between industry and government.

    The other road, doubling down on our exposure to fossil fuels and turning our back not just on the progress in clean energy of the last 15 months but on the partnership of government and business over many decades.

    Going down this road would lose:

    The good jobs from the best economic opportunity of the 21st century.

    The energy security and sovereignty within our reach.

    And of course, our efforts on the climate crisis.

    Indeed, waving the white flag in the climate fight would mean we were rightly held in infamy by future generations.

    Now of course the breakdown of this consensus poses a challenge to our shared agenda.

    I am really confident we can persuade people that the road we have chosen is the right one.

    Because the country wants a positive vision and hope for the future and you are all in the hope business. I spoke to an apprentice at Sizewell C and he was buzzing about the opportunity and there will be many others.

    This country wants hope and optimism. 

    Because it is in our economic interests as a country.

    And because it is the answer to the affordability challenges that families and businesses face.

    I feel humbled to be Energy Secretary.

    Together I am determined we will make the right decisions in the months and years ahead to show the British people how our shared agenda can deliver for them.

  • Andrew Bowie – 2025 Speech on Energy Grid Resilience

    Andrew Bowie – 2025 Speech on Energy Grid Resilience

    The speech made by Andrew Bowie, the Shadow Energy Minister, in the House of Commons on 30 April 2025.

    I thank the Minister for advance sight of his statement, and echo his comments; of course, the Conservatives’ thoughts are with all those affected by the blackouts in Spain, Portugal and more widely.

    The Minister rightly addresses concerns about the security of our grid in the context of the shutdown witnessed on the Iberian peninsula, and I am glad that he can confirm that he is carrying on implementing the recommendations from Exercise Mighty Oak, in which I was involved, on the action that would be required if such an event took place in GB. The primary responsibility of the Minister’s Department is to keep the lights on in this country. The images from Spain and Portugal are a sombre reminder of what happens when the grid fails. Extended blackouts are devastating, and it is a relief that power was restored to 99% of customers by 6 o’clock yesterday morning. The grid collapse in Iberia has demonstrated the fragility of the complex, interconnected systems that support modern life, and the very real impacts on human life of such a collapse.

    It is the Minister’s responsibility to ensure that the same thing does not happen in Great Britain, as the price for our economy and for communities across this country would be catastrophic. We cannot get away from the fact that this Government’s plans to rush ahead to build a grid that is entirely dependent on the wind and the sun in just five years’ time will make our electricity grid significantly less reliable.

    The stability of our electricity grid depends on what is called inertia, which is the ability for the system to resist destabilising fluctuations in frequency. It is the reason our grid has been so secure and resilient over the decades the Minister references. This inertia is provided by turbines, like those found in nuclear, hydro or, crucially, gas power stations, but it is not provided by solar or wind farms. If the grid does not have enough inertia to resist sudden changes in frequency, it can become destabilised, and cascading grid failure can occur. That means blackouts. As the Spanish NESO said in its latest annual report, the closure of conventional generation plants, such as coal, gas and nuclear, has reduced the firm power and balancing capacities of its grid, as well as its strength and inertia. This has also happened here in Great Britain. Data from NESO shows that the inertia in our grid has been steadily decreasing over time, as gas and coal have come off the system, to be replaced by wind and solar. This comes with a hefty price tag, which is the problem with so much of the Labour Government’s approach to energy security. Their imposed targets are saddling the British people with mountains of extra costs, as the Government rush ahead towards a power system that depends on the weather, rather than on firm, reliable baseload.

    Tens of billions of pounds are spent subsidising wind farms, expanding the grid, and providing back-up from reliable gas plants. The Government set their 2030 target, and now they are trying to work out how they can achieve it, but they refuse to be honest with the British people. They refuse to do an open and honest assessment of the costs and risks that come with this approach. It is no wonder that even Tony Blair has said that the present policy solutions are inadequate and doomed to fail.

    The Conservatives believe in a system that delivers secure, affordable and clean energy for the UK. A cyber-attack has been ruled out by the Spanish Government as a cause of their grid collapse, but we know that the threat of interference from hostile states is constant. Will the Minister update the House on the action he is taking to protect the grid from hostile activity? When will he finally tell us which single Minister is responsible for the safety and security of our offshore energy infrastructure?

    The lessons from the incident on the Iberian Peninsula are abundantly clear. We must retain inertia in our grid to keep it stable and resilient. Nuclear power provides vital baseload power generation, along with inertia, which would have helped to mitigate a cascading failure like the one earlier this week. Will the Minister give the nuclear industry the certainty that it is asking for, and commit to 24 GW of nuclear power, as the previous Government did? Will he ask NESO to provide this House with a full, transparent update on the role of inertia in our power system, on the consequences of declining inertia, on the impact that has on grid stability, and on the costs associated with it?

    Finally, the Minister has said that Great Britain has never experienced a complete shutdown such as that seen on the continent. What assurances can he offer this House that work is being undertaken, so that NESO and the National Grid are prepared for a black start, if ever that is needed?

    Michael Shanks

    I shall start with the more serious of the hon. Gentleman’s questions, and then, in reply to some of his other questions, I might gently remind him who was in office not that long ago. On a serious note, I agree entirely with him on his opening point: the first priority of my Department and the Government is to ensure our energy security. The past few days in Spain and Portugal have brought to light just how much of our day-to-day lives are dependent on a functioning electricity system, so he is right to make that point, and we are very aware of it.

    I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman did not recognise the work that the previous Government did on building the renewable system, and on introducing inertia into the system, because that all started a number of years ago. We have a resilient grid in this country, and it is important to continue to have that. That means building new grid infrastructure, which he and a number of his colleagues quite often oppose. It is important to build that grid infrastructure and to invest in it. We will continue to work with NESO and others to understand the full causes of this outage. I will not be drawn into speculation on what may have caused it, because clearly the first priority of the Spanish and Portuguese Governments has been restoring power, but they will carry out investigations to find out the cause, and we will implement any lessons from that.

    Finally, the hon. Gentleman was right to reflect on Operation Mighty Oak, which was carried out under the previous Government. We have been taking forward those recommendations right across government. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is looking at resilience across Government. These are all important points. However, I say gently that energy security is an absolute priority for this Government, which means building the energy infrastructure that this country needs, and not opposing it at every turn.

  • Michael Shanks – 2025 Statement on Energy Grid Resilience

    Michael Shanks – 2025 Statement on Energy Grid Resilience

    The statement made by Michael Shanks, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in the House of Commons on 30 April 2025.

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the resilience of the UK’s energy grid in the context of the widespread power outages experienced across the Iberian peninsula over the past two days. My thoughts are with all those affected by the widespread disruption across that peninsula on Monday. I am glad to hear that power has now been fully restored across the region.

    I want to reassure the House that Great Britain has a highly resilient energy network, and that the incident in Iberia has not impacted Great Britain. The Secretary of State has been in regular contact with the National Energy System Operator over the past two days, and it has provided reassurance that there is no increase in risk to our energy supplies or system stability from this incident.

    My Department was informed on Monday 28 April by NESO that a power outage had occurred across the Iberian peninsula, affecting mainland Spain, Portugal, Andorra and areas of France. While all power was restored to the impacted areas yesterday, Tuesday 29 April, the disruption had cascading impacts on other sectors across the vast majority of Spain and Portugal. The cause of the outage is yet to be confirmed; it is likely to take some time for the Spanish network operator to carry out a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the failure. Various independent reviews have been commissioned by Spain, Portugal and the European Commission to understand the cause.

    Although GB is not directly connected to Spain and Portugal’s grid, NESO is in close contact with European counterparts, and is offering support where needed. The Government are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with the Spanish and Portuguese authorities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of any British nationals in the affected regions.

    I turn to our grid’s resilience, and our preparedness in the context of recent events on the Iberian peninsula. An event similar in impact in Great Britain would be equivalent to a national power outage—a total loss of power across the whole of GB—which is listed on the national risk register as a high-impact but low-likelihood event. In its 75-year history, Great Britain’s national electricity transmission system has never experienced a complete shutdown, or anything on the scale of what has happened in Spain over the past few days.

    Our electricity system is highly resilient. The National Energy System Operator continuously monitors the condition of the electricity system to ensure there are sufficient inertia and reserves in the system to manage large losses and prevent large-scale power outages. NESO has also introduced innovative new approaches to managing system stability, as well as advanced safety systems to help to prevent such events from happening in GB. The system is built, designed and operated to cope with the loss of key circuits or systems without causing customer impacts. There are multiple redundant alternative routes through which power can flow should a fault occur, minimising the risk of a single fault cascading across the entire system to cause a total or partial electricity system shutdown.

    However, as a responsible Government, we prepare for all eventualities, no matter how unlikely. I would like to reassure the House that the Government work closely with industry to continually improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure, networks and assets to reduce vulnerabilities. This work includes having robust emergency plans, summarised in the national emergency plan for downstream gas and electricity, and regularly exercising emergency plans with the energy industry and Ofgem. That includes an exercise carried out by the previous Government; we have been taking forward the recommendations from that exercise. This work is ongoing across Government to ensure we are as resilient as possible as a nation in all eventualities.

    We have also empowered the independent National Energy System Operator to carry out resilience functions across the electricity and gas systems, and will continue to work with industry and regulators to improve and maintain the resilience of old, new and future energy infrastructure. Switching fossil-fuelled generation for home-grown clean energy from renewables, nuclear and other clean technologies is the route to long-term energy security. I will speak more broadly about the UK’s energy resilience in a debate in Westminster Hall on Tuesday.

    To conclude, Great Britain has a resilient energy network, and we will ensure that that continues to be the case. I commend this statement to the House.

  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Remarks at the IEA Future of Energy Security Summit

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Remarks at the IEA Future of Energy Security Summit

    The remarks made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, at Lancaster House in London on 24 April 2025.

    Good afternoon, everyone – it’s really fantastic to see so many people here, in London, welcome to London, I’m so pleased we have got so many representatives from so many places and in a sense we’re here today for one simple reason:

    Because the world has changed.

    From defence and national security on the one hand, much discussed in recent months…

    To the economy and trade…

    Old assumptions have fallen away.

    We are living through an era of global instability…

    Which is felt by working people as an age of local insecurity.

    Factory workers, builders, carers, nurses, teachers…

    Working harder and harder for the pound in their pocket…

    But feeling at the same time that they have less control of their lives.

    *

    And energy security is right at the heart of this.

    Every family and business across the UK…

    Has paid the price for Russia weaponizing energy. And it has.

    But it’s not just that.

    *

    Let’s be frank.

    When it comes to energy…

    We’re also paying the price for our over-exposure…

    Over many years…

    To the rollercoaster of international fossil fuel markets.

    Leaving the economy – and therefore people’s household budgets…

    Vulnerable to the whims of dictators like Putin…

    To price spikes…

    And to volatility that is beyond our control.

    Since the 1970s, half of the UK’s recessions have been caused by fossil fuel shocks.

    That’s true for many of the other nations represented here this afternoon.

    So what’s different today is not the information we have.

    It’s not our awareness of the problem.

    No.

    What’s different now…

    Is our determination…

    In a more uncertain world…

    To fix it.

    It’s our determination that working people…

    Should not be exposed like this anymore.

    *

    So, to the British people, I say:

    This government will not sit back…

    We will step up.

    We will make energy a source…

    Not of vulnerability, but of strength.

    We will protect our critical infrastructure, energy networks and supply chains…

    And do whatever it takes…

    To protect the security of our people.

    Because this is the crucial point –

    Energy security is national security…

    And it is therefore a fundamental duty of government.

    And I’m very clear –

    We can’t deliver that by defending the status quo…

    Or trying to turn the clock back…

    To a world that no longer exists.

    *

    Of course, fossil fuels will be part of our energy mix for decades to come.

    But winning the fight for energy security depends on renewal –

    It depends on change…

    It depends on cooperation with others.

    And that’s why we’re all here today – so many countries, so many communities represented.

    *

    The IEA was founded in 1974,

    In the midst of an energy crisis,

    To help us work together to secure energy supplies…

    And reduce future energy shocks.

    Well, that has taken on a new urgency today.

    So our task is clear –

    To act – together…

    To seize the opportunity of the clean energy transition.

    Because homegrown clean energy…

    Is the only way…

    To take back control of our energy system…

    Deliver energy security…

    And bring down bills for the long term.

    *

    And I want to tell you –

    That is in the DNA of my government.

    When we came into office last year…

    We knew there was no time to waste.

    So in our first 100 days…

    We launched Great British Energy –

    As a national champion to drive investment and transform clean power.

    We scrapped the ban on onshore wind…

    And became the first G7 economy to phase out coal power.

    While we won’t turn off the taps…

    We’re going all out –

    Through our Plan for Change…

    To make Britain a clean energy superpower…

    To secure home grown energy…

    And set a path to achieving clean power by 2030.

    *

    Now, I know, some in the UK don’t agree with that.

    They think energy security can wait.

    They think tackling climate change can wait.

    But do they also think that billpayers can wait too?

    Do they think economic growth can wait?

    Do they think we can win the race for green jobs and investment by going slow?

    That would serve no one.

    Instead, this government is acting now…

    With a muscular industrial policy –

    To seize these opportunities…

    To boost investment…

    Build new industries…

    Drive UK competitiveness…

    And unlock export opportunities –

    In wind, nuclear, hydrogen, carbon capture, heat pumps and so much more.

    That is the change we need.

    We won’t wait –

    We’ll accelerate.

    *

    Because we’re already seeing the benefits.

    The UK’s net zero sectors are growing three times faster than the economy as a whole.

    They have attracted £43 billion of private investment since last July.

    And now they support around 600,000 jobs across the UK.

    That means more opportunities…

    And more money in people’s pockets.

    And we’re going further.

    We’ve stripped out unnecessary red tape…

    To put Britain back in the global race for nuclear energy…

    And allow for Small Modular Reactors for the first time.

    We’re speeding up planning for clean energy projects –

    Including onshore wind…

    To power millions of homes and unlock further investment of £40 billion each year.

    *

    It’s really clear to me –

    That investors want policy certainty.

    They want ambition.

    That is what we’re providing.

    And now we are raising our ambition even further.

    I am really pleased to announce today…

    That we’re creating a new Supply Chains Investment Fund –

    As part of Great British Energy.

    It will be backed by an initial £300 million of new funding…

    For domestic offshore wind…

    Leveraging billions of new private investment…

    Supporting tens of thousands of jobs…

    And driving economic growth.

    When companies are looking to invest in clean energy…

    When partners are looking to build new turbines, blades or cables…

    Our message is simple:

    Build it in Britain.

    I am determined to seize this opportunity –

    To win our share of this trillion-dollar market…

    And secure the next generation of great jobs.

    I’ve met apprentices at the docks in Grimsby – fantastic individuals…

    I’ve been to Holyhead in Wales…

    And the National Nuclear Laboratory in Preston…

    And I’ve seen the brilliant clean power infrastructure that we are building in this country.

    But more than that…

    I’ve seen the pride that these jobs bring.

    This is skilled, well-paid work…

    Meaningful work –

    A chance to reignite our industrial heartlands…

    To rekindle the sense of community pride and purpose…

    That comes from being part of something that is bigger than yourself.

    And so I’m pleased to tell you…

    That I can share some more good news this afternoon.

    Earlier today, we finalised a deal with ENI.

    It will see them award £2 billion in supply chain contracts…

    For the Hynet Carbon Capture and Storage project…

    Creating 2,000 jobs, across North Wales and the North West.

    I want to thank all those here today who are part of this success story.

    Because it is all built on stability, yes…

    But our ruthless focus on delivery…

    But it is also built on partnership.

    *

    So let me say –

    It is a real pleasure today to welcome my friend –

    President von der Leyen.

    Ursula – it is so good to have you with us this afternoon. Last time we were in this building, Ursula and I stood together with other colleagues here at Lancaster House, that was just last month, six weeks ago…

    Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with President Zelenskyy…

    Working together for European security.

    Today we stand, again together with Fatih and others and the IEA…

    United behind European energy security.

    Europe must never again be in a position where Russia thinks they can blackmail us on energy.

    And until Russia comes to the table and agrees a full and unconditional ceasefire…

    We must continue to crack down on their energy revenues which are still fuelling Putin’s war chest.

    This is the moment to act.

    And it is the moment to build a partnership with the EU that meets the needs of our time –

    Facing up to the global shocks of recent years…

    And working together to minimise the impact on hard-working people.

    So we’re doing more with the EU to improve our interconnections…

    And make the most of our shared energy systems…

    As well as building on the fantastic partnerships that we already have…

    With countries like the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and so many others.

    We have a common and important resource in the North Sea…

    Which can help us meet common challenges –

    To me, this is just common sense.

    So let’s seize this potential…

    To drive down bills…

    And drive up investment, growth and energy security.

    I was elected with a mandate to deliver change.

    So I make no apologies for pursuing every avenue…

    To deliver in the national interest and secure Britain’s future.

    That is always my priority.

    And of course this has to be a global effort as well.

    We need to see a wider coalition…

    That unites the north and south…

    In a global drive for clean power.

    That’s why I launched the Global Clean Power Alliance at the G20 last year…

    Working alongside the EU’s Global Energy Transitions Forum.

    And that’s why we’re joining forces to take this forward.

    We want to tackle the barriers and bottlenecks that are holding countries back.

    So I am pleased to announce today…

    That, under the Global Clean Power Alliance…

    We are establishing a first-of-its-kind global initiative…

    To unblock and diversify clean energy supply chains.

    We are harnessing the political leadership needed to make this happen.

    Because, ultimately…

    That is what this is about:

    Leadership.

    In this moment of instability and uncertainty…

    Where we are buffeted by global forces…

    We are taking control.

    We are working together with partners from around the world…

    With the IEA and all of you here today…

    To accelerate this vital global transition.

    And in the UK…

    We are stepping up now…

    To make energy a source…

    Not of vulnerability, and worry…

    Which it is at the moment and it has been for so long…

    But a source of strength, of security and pride.

    With British energy, powering British homes, creating British jobs –

    A collective effort, to boost our collective security…

    For generations to come.

    Thank you very much.

    *

    And now it is my very great pleasure and privilege to introduce…

    President von der Leyen, my friend Ursula, thank you very much for being here. Ursula, the stage is yours.

  • Ed Miliband – 2024 Statement on Energy Infrastructure Planning Projects

    Ed Miliband – 2024 Statement on Energy Infrastructure Planning Projects

    The statement made by Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in the House of Commons on 18 July 2024.

    This statement confirms that it has been necessary to extend the deadlines for decisions on the following four applications made under the Planning Act 2008:

    The Mallard Pass solar farm development consent order for the construction and operation of a solar farm energy generation development on land in Lincolnshire, South Kesteven and Rutland by Mallard Pass Solar Farm Ltd. The Secretary of State received the examining authority’s report on 16 February 2024, and the previous deadline for a decision was 13 June 2024.

    The Sunnica solar farm development consent order for the construction and operation of a solar farm and battery storage energy generation development on land in Cambridgeshire by Sunnica Ltd. The Secretary of State received the examining authority’s report on 28 June 2023, and the previous deadline for a decision was 20 June 2024.

    The Gate Burton energy park development consent order for the construction and operation of a solar farm and battery storage energy generation development on land in Lincolnshire by Gate Burton Energy Park Ltd. The Secretary of State received the examining authority’s report on 4 April 2024 and the previous deadline for a decision was 4 July 2024.

    The North Lincolnshire green energy park development consent order for the construction and operation of a combined heat and power enabled energy generating development, with an electrical output of up to 95 MWe, incorporating carbon capture, associated district heat and private wire networks, hydrogen production, ash treatment, and other associated developments on land at Flixborough industrial estate, Scunthorpe by North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park Ltd. The Secretary of State received the examining authority’s report on 15 August 2023, and the previous deadline for a decision was 18 July 2024.

    Under section 107(1) of the Planning Act 2008, the Secretary of State must make a decision on an application within three months of the receipt of the examining authority’s report unless exercising the power under section 107(3) of the Act to set a new deadline. Where a new deadline is set, the Secretary of State must make a statement to Parliament to announce it. Prior to taking decisions, the Secretary of State decided to set new deadlines for the applications as follows:

    Mallard Pass solar farm: 22 July 2024.

    Sunnica solar farm: 22 July 2024.

    Gate Burton energy park: 22 July 2024.

    This is due to the general election as no decisions are taken during a pre-election period. This is the first opportunity I have had to update the House on these cases.

    The decisions for those cases extended to 22 July have now been taken. In the case of the North Lincolnshire green energy park, the new deadline is 18 October 2024 to allow for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to consider the evidence gathered by its review into the role of waste incineration capacity in the management of residual wastes in England.

    The Department will always endeavour to issue decisions ahead of the deadlines above, wherever possible.

    The decision to set the new deadline for the North Lincolnshire green energy park application is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent.

  • Wera Hobhouse – 2024 Speech on the Clean Energy Superpower Mission

    Wera Hobhouse – 2024 Speech on the Clean Energy Superpower Mission

    The speech made by Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on energy, in the House of Commons on 18 July 2024.

    I welcome the new Secretary of State to his place. I share his passion for climate action. Let me add, however, that next time he makes a statement we will need our copies in better time than was the case today.

    There is no doubt that the best route to affordable energy is renewables, but under the former Government renewable projects faced long delays and costs have skyrocketed. Indeed, that Government’s record on renewables was absolutely miserable. Our electricity demand is expected to double by 2050, and we must make upgrading our grid infrastructure a major priority. The Government will know that one of the biggest challenges will be to bring communities behind hosting the big infrastructure changes needed for the grid expansion, and to cope with the huge landscape transformation. How will they secure public consent?

    As the Secretary of State said, to achieve our legally binding targets we also need a “rooftop solar revolution”, which will include introducing stronger incentives for households to install solar panels and ensuring a fair price for energy that they sell back to the grid. Will the Government work on those incentives with the Liberal Democrats?

    We Liberal Democrats acknowledge the new approach taken by this new Government, and I look forward to working constructively with the Secretary of State to achieve our very ambitious targets.

    Edward Miliband

    May I welcome you to the Chair, Madam Deputy Speaker?

    I welcome the hon. Lady’s questions; we worked together on these issues when we were in opposition. Let me deal with her two substantive points. On the question of public consent, this is absolutely something that we need to do, and I see it in three ways. First, communities need a say. Secondly, communities need benefit. Communities are providing a service to the country when they host clean energy infrastructure, so there needs to be benefit for those communities. Thirdly, this is a debate that we will have to have, and I am afraid the last Government did not grasp the nettle on this issue.

    We are going through a massive change in our economy. If we do not build the grid or roll out solar, we will be poorer as a country and we will absolutely expose ourselves to future cost of living crises. I look forward to receiving as much support as possible from the Liberal Democrats, and indeed from all Members of this House, in making the case to people. We have to go out and make the case, as I think happened in the 1950s when we will built the grid. If we do not make the case, we will leave ourselves exposed as a country, and it is the British people who will pay the price. I completely concur with the hon. Lady on rooftop solar.

  • Claire Coutinho – 2024 Speech on the Clean Energy Superpower Mission

    Claire Coutinho – 2024 Speech on the Clean Energy Superpower Mission

    The speech made by Claire Coutinho, the Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in the House of Commons on 18 July 2024.

    I would like to put on the record my disappointment not to get the statement in good time. I know that the right hon. Gentleman will want to provide us with the same courtesy that we tried to provide him when we were in government. That being said, I congratulate him on his return to government. I was sad not to see more of him during the election campaign, particularly because our ability to secure enough cheap energy will be crucial to this nation’s success in the decades ahead. I would also like to put on record my thanks to the officials he will now work with.

    I wish the right hon. Gentleman well in his endeavour, but energy will be this Government’s big test. They talk a good game on growth, but the Secretary of State’s energy policy is their greatest liability. In government, we built more offshore wind than any other country bar China. We set out the largest expansion of nuclear power in 70 years. We said that, yes, we will need oil and gas in the decades ahead, as the Climate Change Committee has said, and we should use British oil and gas where needed. We are in a global race for energy, and demand will be higher in the years ahead because of data and artificial intelligence.

    If the right hon. Gentleman’s plans to decarbonise the grid by 2030 are in place, we need to know what they will do to people’s energy bills, our energy security and our reliance on the current dominant player for cables, batteries and critical minerals—China. He is happy to quote the Climate Change Committee, but it also acknowledged that we will need oil and gas well into 2050. He must answer: where would he like that to come from?

    When it comes to quotes, he should consider some from the business world who have commented on his policy, such as the chief executive of Mitsubishi Power, who said that his plans would require a “huge sacrifice” by the country, citing the costs of the Secretary of State’s approach. The chief executive of Ineos said that his approach to energy was “absurd”, leaving us dependent on imports of foreign fuels with higher emissions and doing nothing for the climate. Even the GMB said that his plans were “unviable” and would lead to power cuts, blackouts and enormous cost. Unite has said that the Government’s plans for the North sea would turn oil and gas workers into the coalminers of their generation.

    The right hon. Gentleman must answer why he would like to import gas with much higher emissions. How many jobs will be lost from his plans? How much investment into the new technologies of the future, such as hydrogen, carbon capture and offshore wind, will be lost? Will he meet those workers and explain to them what will happen to their livelihoods?

    During the election, the right hon. Gentleman claimed that he would lower bills and save families £300. However, those numbers are already in the savings, and no one on his side can set out the cost of his plans to decarbonise the grid by 2030. Who will pay for those network costs? What will they do to people’s standing charges, which were already too high?

    The right hon. Gentleman also, I think, commented on having a say in terms of communities. The energy infrastructure he will need, and the fact that he wants to go further and faster, will have a huge impact on rural communities. Their concerns must be addressed. As I set out, the plans for our energy cannot come at the expense of our food or national security.

    In his statement, the right hon. Gentleman accused me of dither, but as he will know from his officials, in at least one of the cases he has signed off I had already instructed some time ago that I was minded to reject it, and that paperwork was being prepared. He must set out urgently what his criteria will be. In one case, he overturned an expert examining authority. In another case, he signed off a solar farm which will be 40% on our best and most versatile agricultural land. Did he know that was the case? If so, what was his basis for finding that acceptable? Will he continue our efforts to build more solar on rooftops? I think he mentioned that he would reconvene the solar taskforce. I hate to tell him, but it had never been disbanded and we were due to publish that work. So, I would like to know what date he will be able to publish that work.

    In conclusion, the Secretary of State’s party won the election and promised change, but he was not on show during that campaign to answer these critical questions of how he was going to provide that change and what it will mean for the country. What will his plans mean for the price of electricity? What will they mean for our ability to keep the lights on? What will they mean for struggling families’ bills, for our economy, and for the livelihoods of oil and gas workers? What will they mean for our reliance on China? For all that the Labour Government talk about growth, they will not be able to deliver on that with the Secretary of State’s plans for energy. I hope that in the months ahead he will set out some of that detail to be examined.

    Edward Miliband

    May I start by congratulating the right hon. Lady on her recent engagement? I wish her and her fiancé all the best for the future. We may disagree on some issues, but I believe this Government and the right hon. Lady can at least share a belief in long honeymoons. [Laughter.]

    On the right hon. Lady’s response, I have to say that I was disappointed. The lines were very, very familiar. That is because they were the lines she has used for the last year. And here she comes today to the House and repeats the lines as if the intervening meteorite has not hit the Conservative party: the worst election result in 200 years for her party. The truth, as sensible Conservatives know, is that the lurch she worked on a year ago with the former Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the right hon. Member for Richmond and Northallerton (Rishi Sunak), was an electoral disaster for the Conservative party—the lurch away from climate action. What we saw in her statement is the classic dilemma for the Conservative party, which we will see played out, I hope, for many long years of Opposition. The dilemma is do they go the Reform route to be climate deniers, or do they actually re-embrace climate—[Interruption.]

    Mr Speaker

    Order. Can I just say that I do not need any advice? I will decide whether it is a question. It is an answer, actually.

    Edward Miliband

    On the points the right hon. Lady made, there is a fundamental issue, which is that unless we drive for clean energy—this is what the Climate Change Committee said; I strongly recommend that right hon. and hon. Members read it—we will end up energy insecure. We had the worst cost of living crisis in generations because of our exposure to fossil fuels, both domestically and internationally, set and sold on the world market. Unless we drive for clean energy, we will end up paying more for energy. The House would not know that from what she said about our 2030 target. She had a target when she was in government of 95% clean power by 2030. Of course, targets did not matter for the previous Government, because they were always miles away from reaching them.

    As for the North sea, we set out our manifesto position, which is not to issue licences to explore new fields but to keep existing fields for their lifetime. Here is the truth of the conversation that we must have. The fate of North sea oil and gas communities is defined by these questions. Do we drive forward the clean energy of the future? Have we a plan for carbon capture and storage? Have we a plan for hydrogen? Have we a plan for offshore wind? The Conservatives had no such plans, so we will take no lectures on just transitions from them.

    The right hon. Lady had other lines that were a rehearsal of the election. Let me say this to her, on the solar question. She referred to one particular planning decision, and I do think she has a degree of brass neck. She criticised me for overturning the planning authority. I am in a quasi-judicial role, so I will be careful about what I say, but she had this in her Department for a year. She could have agreed with the planning authority and rejected the application, but she chose not to do so. That is the reality.

    In my experience, when you lose a general election a period of reflection is in order, and I say to Conservative Members that they need to reflect long and hard on the signals that they sent in this election. Their climate lurch was a disaster—a disaster for them electorally, but, much more important to me, a disaster for the country. Under this Government, Britain is back, open for business and climate leadership.

    Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) (Lab)

    It is great to see you back in the Chair, Mr Speaker. It is also great to see the Secretary of State at the Dispatch Box on this side of the House again. I welcome what he said about the jobs, lower bills, energy security and climate action that lie at the heart of this Government’s plans. That is very true in respect of the Liverpool city region, where offshore wind—as he said—will play an important and increasing role in our energy future, along with onshore wind, solar power, hydrogen, carbon capture and nuclear energy. However, we also have exciting plans for tidal energy in the region, and I hope he can confirm that it will form a part of what he wants to achieve through the plans that he has announced.

    Edward Miliband

    My hon. Friend has long been an eloquent advocate for the role that business can play in generating the clean energy of our future and generating prosperity. I can absolutely confirm that we want to embrace the widest range of technologies. Obviously we must ensure that that gives value for money, but what I always say on these occasions is that the climate crisis and the energy security challenge are so big for us as a country that we must embrace every form of technology at our disposal, because that is the only way in which we will succeed.

  • Ed Miliband – 2024 Statement on the Clean Energy Superpower Mission

    Ed Miliband – 2024 Statement on the Clean Energy Superpower Mission

    The statement made by Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in the House of Commons on 18 July 2024.

    With permission, I would like to make a statement about the Government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. This Government were elected two weeks ago. Since then, we have lifted the onshore wind ban in England, which had been in place since 2015; consented more than 1.3 GW of solar projects, powering the equivalent of almost 400,000 homes; established the 2030 mission control centre in my Department under Chris Stark to plan and deliver our mission; and established under the Chancellor a national wealth fund to create good clean energy jobs across our country. We are just getting started.

    We are moving at this pace for one overriding reason: the urgency of the challenges we face. We have the challenge of our energy insecurity, laid bare by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and paid for by the British people in the worst cost of living crisis in generations. We have the challenge of an economy that does not work for working people, with too few good jobs at decent wages. We have the challenge of the climate crisis—not a future threat, but a present reality. This Government have a driving philosophy: homegrown clean energy can help us tackle all those challenges, including crucially energy security. Today the Climate Change Committee publishes its progress report to Parliament. I thank the interim chair Piers Forster and the interim chief executive James Richardson for their excellent work.

    The Committee says in its report:

    “British-based renewable energy is the cheapest and fastest way to reduce vulnerability to volatile global fossil fuel markets. The faster we get off fossil fuels, the more secure we become.”

    It is right. That is why making Britain a clean energy superpower is one of the five missions of this Government, delivering clean power by 2030 and accelerating to net zero across the economy.

    Today, the committee’s report also lays bare the truth about the last Government. Despite achievements, which I am happy to acknowledge, the report is coruscating about the lurch of recent years. It says that

    “last year…the previous Government signalled a slowing of pace and reversed or delayed key policies.”

    It goes on:

    “the…announcements were given with the justification that they will make the transition more affordable for people, but with no evidence backing this claim.”

    It concludes that

    “the country is not on track”

    to hit our 2030 international target of 68% emissions reductions. Indeed, it says:

    “Our assessment is that only a third of the emissions reductions required…are currently covered by credible plans.”

    That is our inheritance for a target to be achieved in just five years.

    I will respond formally to the committee in the autumn and, as part of that, I have asked my Department to provide me with a thorough analysis of its findings, but I can tell the House today that we will hold fast to our 2030 clean power mission and our nationally determined contribution, because it is the right thing to do for our country.

    Today, I set out our next steps. First, onshore wind is one of the cheapest sources of power that we have. To those in the House who claimed they were protecting communities with the onshore wind ban, let us be clear: they have undermined our energy security and set back the fight against the climate crisis. That is why in the first 72 hours of this Government we lifted the ban, which today I confirm formally to the House. Under the onshore wind ban, the pipeline of projects in England shrank by 90%.

    Over a year ago, the last Government’s net zero tsar Chris Skidmore, whom I pay tribute to, made a recommendation of an onshore wind taskforce to drive forward projects. The last Government ignored it; we will implement it. The taskforce will work with developers to rebuild the pipeline of projects.

    Secondly, solar power is among the cheapest forms of power that we have. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and I are determined that we have a rooftop revolution. We must use the rooftops of our country for solar far better than we do at the moment. That is why the Deputy Prime Minister and I are clear that rooftop solar should play an important role, where appropriate, as part of the future standards for homes and buildings. The solar road map—we have been waiting for it for 18 months—will be published soon, with greater ambition. I have reconvened the solar taskforce to deliver that objective.

    As we face up to the challenge of the energy transition, we must also plan for how we use land in this country to ensure a proper balance between food security, nature preservation and clean energy. After dither and delay under the previous Government, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary will publish a land use framework working in tandem with our spatial energy plan.

    I also assure the House that communities will continue to have a say on any proposals in their area. It is important for this Government that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should directly benefit from it. But we will not carry on with a position where the clean energy we need does not get built and the British people pay the price.

    Credible external estimates suggest that ground-mounted solar used just 0.1% of our land in 2022. The biggest threat to nature and food security and to our rural communities is not solar panels or onshore wind; it is the climate crisis, which threatens our best farmland, food production and the livelihoods of farmers. The Government will proceed not on the basis of myth and false information, but on evidence. Every time, the previous Government ducked, delayed and denied the difficult decisions needed for clean energy, that made us less secure, raised bills and undermined climate action. No more.

    Thirdly, offshore wind will be the backbone of our clean energy mission. Allocation round 5, overseen by the last Government, was a catastrophe for the industry, with no offshore wind contracts awarded. The upcoming round is a critical test. We will get this crucial industry back on its feet. By the beginning of August, I will report back on the budget for AR6 to ensure that as much clean, home-grown energy as possible gets built while ensuring value for money.

    Our fourth step is the Great British Energy Bill announced in the Gracious Speech. I am extremely proud that this is the first Bill for decades that will enable us to establish a UK-wide publicly owned energy generation company. The truth is that there is already widespread public ownership of energy in Britain, but by foreign Governments. We have offshore wind farms in the UK owned by the Governments of Denmark, France, Norway and Sweden through state-owned companies. Those Governments know that a publicly owned national champion is part of a modern industrial strategy and generates a return for taxpayers, crowding in, not crowding out, private investment. For too long, Britain has opted out and lost out. Today, we say: no more.

    Great British Energy, headquartered in Scotland, will invest in home-grown clean energy to increase our energy independence, create good jobs with strong trade unions and tackle the climate crisis. It will invest in technologies such as nuclear, offshore wind, tidal, hydrogen and carbon capture, and ensure a just transition for our oil and gas communities. GB Energy will also oversee the biggest expansion of community energy in British history through our local power plan. The Government believe in the ownership of British assets by the British people, for the benefit of the British people. Following the people’s verdict at the general election, I hope that this is a patriotic mission that the whole House can get behind.

    I have seen 19 years of debates on climate and energy in this House. The clean energy transition represents the biggest transformation of our economy for 200 years, and it is massively challenging. We have been at our best as a country, and as a House, when we have worked together for the sake of the national interest. I pay tribute to people of all parties who have been champions of this agenda over the past 14 years: Baroness May, who legislated for net zero; the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Ed Davey), who oversaw the growth of offshore wind; Caroline Lucas; and on the Labour Benches, my friend Alan Whitehead.

    One of my early decisions was to re-establish the role of the Secretary of State as the lead climate negotiator in my Department, because we can only protect future generations with strong action at home and leadership abroad. Next week in London I will host the President of this year’s COP29 in Azerbaijan. He will be joined by the Presidents of COP28 and COP30. I have invited the President of COP 26, Lord Sharma, who presided with such distinction, to join our discussions. This is a sign of how I intend to go on—working with people of all parties and none in this national endeavour. That is what the British people have a right to expect of us. As the Prime Minister rightly says, “Country first, party second.” That is more true on this issue than any other. This Government will act at pace and work with anyone who shares our mission. I commend this statement to the House.

  • Claire Coutinho – 2024 Speech at Chatham House

    Claire Coutinho – 2024 Speech at Chatham House

    The speech made by Claire Coutinho, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, at Chatham House on 12 March 2024.

    As Secretary of State for Energy Security, it’s my job to make sure that here in Britain we can keep the lights on.

    Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sparked the most severe threat to European energy security since the 1970s.

    But Britain’s energy supplies held up.

    Not only did we keep the lights on at home, but we also pumped fuel to our allies in Europe as they weaned themselves off Russian gas.

    The UK banned Russian fossil fuels, making sure we were no longer contributing to Kremlin coffers.

    We have led the world in driving Putin out of our energy markets once and for all, and I continue to encourage our allies around the world to do the same.

    But, most importantly, we must never find ourselves in that position again.

    From my time in this role, it is clear that we have entered a new era.

    An era in which energy can be weaponised against us.

    An era where our adversaries can inflict harm on British families and businesses through energy prices.

    If we cannot protect families and businesses from the threat of future shocks, then we are not really secure.

    So, we must be hard-headed and realistic about the future of our energy system.

    We must put national interest over narrow ideology, and give time for the country to make the transition.

    And, more than anything, we must take the necessary steps to protect British families and businesses by keeping energy bills down.

    Because our country will only succeed in the decades ahead if we can source enough cheap and secure energy to power our nation.

    The people at the forefront of my mind when I do this job are those up and down the country who may be worried about turning on the heating.

    Or the small business who are worried about whether they can pay their staff.

    If people can’t afford the gas in their homes, or the fuel in their car, or their electricity bills, then even if we have enough supply, we are not secure.

    That’s why, in the last 2 years, the government has taken unprecedented steps to support people through the energy crisis.

    We spent over £100 billion protecting the economy and households across the country. The average household received £1,500 of support, halving their energy bill when the crisis was at its worst.

    We’ve given even more support to the most vulnerable households with our Winter Fuel Payments, Cost of Living payments and our home insulation programmes.

    We’ve eliminated the premium on pre-payment meters.

    We’re working with Ofgem to look at the fairness of standing charges.

    Our Pumpwatch scheme is making sure drivers will get a fair price at the pump.

    And we’re reforming the retail energy market to allow customers to benefit from the cheapest prices of the day which could save them up to £900 a year.

    But no-one can deny how hard the last few years have been.

    Whether it’s a business being unable to expand, or the tough choices that families have had to make at home – there has been a very human cost to the extreme prices that we have faced.

    But thankfully, we are turning a corner.

    From April, families will be paying their lowest prices for energy since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with the average household bill set to fall by almost £250.

    But there is more to do if we want to make sure Britain’s energy is secure, reliable and crucially cheap, for decades to come.

    If we look back over the last 300 years, Britain has boomed because of our access to homegrown energy.

    The Industrial Revolution was made possible by British coal. Since the 1960s we’ve had North Sea oil and gas. And now, our windswept shorelines are increasingly powering Britain from Britain.

    But make no mistake, we are in a global race for energy.

    The growth in demand from emerging economies is soaring. In sub-Saharan Africa for example, there are 600 million people who have no access to electricity at all. That will change in the decades ahead and rightly so.

    In Asia, the construction of renewables and demand for fossil fuels is breaking new records.

    When it comes to energy and its supply chains, we need to be realistic about each source’s strengths and its weaknesses.

    The West cannot wean itself off Russian oil and gas, only to then be dependent on China for critical minerals.

    But Britain’s history, our expertise in energy, our geology, our infrastructure, our skills, mean that we have a competitive advantage.

    But we must not throw that away.

    That’s why we are doubling down on our offshore wind sector, which will provide us with cheap, clean, homegrown energy, replacing oil and gas as our North Sea reserves naturally decline.

    Our world-renowned Contracts for Difference auctions, introduced in 2014, weave together the [political content removed] principles of competition and enterprise to drive down costs for consumers.

    We have the first, the second, the third, the fourth and the fifth largest operational offshore wind farms anywhere in the world and we will go further thanks to our new auction round with the largest ever pot for renewables.

    But we also know that we will need a stable baseload beneath it, and that’s why I’ve announced the largest expansion to our nuclear programme in 70 years.

    Whether it’s large power plants, small modular reactors or the next generation of advanced modular reactors – we are building it.

    And we are being realistic about our need for oil and gas too.

    The Energy System Operator and even the Climate Change Committee acknowledge that in a net zero world, we’ll still need oil and gas for a significant amount of our energy.

    And that’s because it’s not absolute zero, it’s net zero.

    That’s why we need to be honest and pragmatic about what else our new energy system will need.

    A weather-dependent, renewables-based electricity grid means we will need to have flexible power for when the wind doesn’t blow, and the sun doesn’t shine.

    Which is why we need to make the most of the main flexible power we have today: gas.

    There are no two ways about it. Without gas backing up renewables, we face the genuine prospect of blackouts.

    Other countries in recent years have been so threatened by supply constraints that they were forced back to coal.

    There are no easy solutions in energy, only trade-offs.

    If countries are forced to choose between net zero and keeping citizens safe and warm, believe me they’ll choose to keep the lights on.

    We will not let ourselves be put in that position.

    And so, as we continue to move towards clean energy, we must also be realistic.

    A renewables-based energy system needs backing up with power plants, which we can ramp up and ramp down when it isn’t windy or sunny enough.

    We are working hard to get new, cleaner technologies scaled up to deliver this flexible power. That might mean putting carbon capture technology on gas power plants or scaling up entirely new technologies like hydrogen gas-fired power when they are ready.

    We are doing everything we can to propel new and innovative designs to market, but we also acknowledge that we will need some tried-and-tested capacity until these kick in.

    For this brief window of time, that leaves us with unabated gas.

    Anyone who tells you that we can ‘just stop’ oil and gas is not just wrong, but naive.

    Imagine if we told people that we are going to shut down all petrol stations today because we think electric cars will be the norm in 2050. People would rightly tell us that we were insane. Their instincts would tell them that we cannot affect that kind of change overnight.

    And that’s true of our energy system too.

    Even the Climate Change Committee’s independent data finds that a power sector without unabated gas in 2035 would be, and I quote, “likely to increase costs and delivery risks”.

    And the Energy System Operator’s analysis suggests that a net zero power system will be achievable by 2035, but only with fossil fuels in reserve.

    We know that with around 15GW of gas due to come off system in the coming years we will need a minimum of 5GW of new power to remain secure. That might mean refurbishing existing power stations but will also mean new unabated gas power stations until the clean technology is ready.

    So, I say this to all our electricity generators here in the UK: renewables will play an ever-more critical role in powering Britain, but I will not risk our energy security by refusing to address the difficult short-term choices we need to make.

    The government will stand with you as you invest in building more gas power stations.

    And if investors are serious about reaching net zero without damaging the economy, or hiking bills for families, then they should stand with you too.

    There are two reasons why backing gas is not at odds with our world-leading net zero commitments.

    First, we expect all new gas power stations to be built net zero ready.

    That means companies must build power plants which are ready to connect to carbon capture technology or that can be changed to burn hydrogen instead of gas.

    This is not just a government expectation, it’s common sense for investors too, because they know that the government is serious about reaching net zero.

    But our position remains we must build these new power stations to ensure security of supply while the low carbon technology develops.

    And I fully believe that this country can be a global leader in CCUS. We have the right geology, the right infrastructure, and the right skills to be a world leader in carbon capture.

    That’s why the government is making a massive £20 billion commitment to this game-changing technology and why I am focusing on how to create a competitive CCUS market by 2035.

    Second, these gas power plants will run less frequently as unabated as we build more and more low-carbon generation and long-term storage.

    But while we are bringing other flexible sources online, we won’t take any risks.

    In the past 6 months we have been accused of rolling back on our net zero plans.

    So let me tackle this head-on: Britain is the poster child for net zero.

    We’ve halved our greenhouse gas emissions since 1990.

    Out of the top 20 largest economies in the world, nobody has done more than us.

    To give you an idea, the EU has cut emissions by only 30%, the US not at all, and China’s emissions are up by 300%.

    We’ve done that all whilst growing the economy and avoiding the riots and protests that we’ve seen abroad.

    And that last point is critical. There is no point in being world-leading in cutting emissions if your businesses end up moving abroad and your people are suffering from high energy costs.

    Frankly, there is no point in being world-leading at net zero, if nobody wants to follow your lead.

    That’s why we are putting investment first. Since 2010 we have seen £300 billion invested into green technology, creating jobs up and down the country.

    And in my past 6 months, I’ve delivered £30 billion of business investment into our energy revolution thanks to the negotiations and policies that we’ve put in place.

    And this is key.

    Global investors are choosing to back Britain.

    Britain’s story is one of endless innovation. We are perfectly placed to develop the technology and expertise to help developing nations with their own transitions.

    We have to be honest that this will be our biggest contribution to global climate change, more so than what happens with our own domestic emissions.

    Innovation, expertise and exports.

    That’s what the big energy economies, like the US, Canada, Norway, and Saudi Arabia are doing.

    I will make sure that whether it’s fusion energy, hydrogen or carbon capture we will both meet our net zero targets and that Britain will reap the reward for it.

    But we won’t reap the rewards if we’re not realistic about the time it will take to decarbonise our electricity grid.

    Our target to decarbonise the grid by 2035 has been set to allow time for first-of-a-kind technology to evolve, and for British supply chains to bloom.

    And that’s why just last week, the Chancellor announced that GIGA just got bigger.

    Our Green Industry Growth Accelerator now totals over £1 billion and will grow the supply chains for all the clean technologies that we need for the future.

    We are doing everything that we can to help our future technologies develop, with multi-billion-pound programmes, and capital allowances for clean investments in carbon capture, hydrogen, fusion energy and offshore wind.

    However, anybody sensible will tell you that these things take time.

    To pretend that you can do things overnight is a fundamentally dishonest position.

    Everything we do in energy must work to keep the cost of energy down whilst keeping the lights on.

    Yes, that means not taking chances with our energy system by ensuring it has everything it needs to remain resilient.

    And it means allowing the market to bring forward those next generation technologies that will strengthen our energy system and turn a profit for Britain so we can grow our economy.

    But it also means making sure our energy market prioritises the bill-payer.

    Bills are most peoples’ only experience of the energy system. It is through cost that people will judge our success, and that is why we are leaving no stone unturned to cut bills.

    This is what we must remember as we today launch the next step of our review of electricity market arrangements, or REMA.

    This is the biggest electricity market reform in a generation. It will mean cheaper bills, massive investment, energy security for decades, and cleaner energy as well.

    In this next round of consultation, we have kept zonal pricing on the table to explore it more thoroughly.

    This is a potential supply side reform which would encourage companies to build infrastructure closer to where energy is needed. It would mean our energy system would be smaller and more efficient, and less energy infrastructure would be needed overall – leading to lower costs for consumers.

    We’ve already seen it successfully used in other renewable energy powerhouses like Norway and Denmark.

    Alongside other options we are considering, it could mean £35 billion in savings over 20 years – that’s a saving of up to £45 every year for each household.

    But let’s be clear: every household, whether they are in Glasgow, Grimsby or Guildford, would benefit from market reform.

    This ambition – cutting bills for everyone – is exactly why we are keeping zonal pricing on the table.

    And that is why we are working hard to grasp the opportunities of renewables for consumers. With a smarter energy system, we can shave up to 11% off peak demand. It sounds technical, but that is a £50 billion opportunity for billpayers over the next 25 years.

    An electric car driver on the right tariff could charge overnight when electricity is cheapest, meaning that while they used to pay 17p per mile using petrol, they now pay 2p per mile. The same would apply to household energy bills.

    Our work on smart energy tariffs based on the cheapest price of energy in the day could save households up to £900 a year.

    And this will cut costs for businesses too.

    So, as we contemplate the challenges ahead, our strategy will follow common sense principles.

    Principles that reflect the reality that energy security is not just about having plentiful supplies, but affordable energy too.

    That Britain, with our history of energy expertise, is well placed to reap the rewards of creating the new energy technologies of the future if we manage that transition well.

    A hard-headed and realistic approach about our future energy system.

    Prioritising the national interest over narrow ideology.

    And taking the necessary steps to cut costs for families and businesses.

    That’s the approach I’ve outlined to you today.

    And that’s the way Britain will continue to lead the world towards a cleaner, cheaper and more secure future.

  • Claire Coutinho – 2023 Speech at the Energy UK conference

    Claire Coutinho – 2023 Speech at the Energy UK conference

    The speech made by Claire Coutinho, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in London on 18 October 2023.

    Good afternoon everyone.

    It’s a pleasure to join you today.

    You are lucky to have such a strong champion in Emma [Pinchbeck].

    Before I met her, someone described Emma to me as ‘pretty candid’.

    Now I’ve got to know her a bit, I can confirm they were absolutely right.

    So I’m delighted to give my first keynote speech as Energy Secretary to this audience.

    And hopefully offer a few candid views of my own.

    I feel incredibly privileged to be in this job.

    Simply put, this is the most exciting sector to be in right now.

    Energy also brings together the 3 key policy areas I’ve worked on my whole career.

    Investment, jobs and economic growth.

    Net zero and the wider environment.

    And helping disadvantaged families and communities, something I’ve always been passionate about.

    We cannot thrive as a country without affordable, reliable, abundant energy.

    We cannot prosper or protect our population without energy security.

    Nor can our children flourish if we don’t decarbonise energy, and ensure that the whole ecosystem survives intact for the next generation.

    That’s a huge responsibility on all our shoulders.

    So as the new Secretary of State, my pledge to the industry is to work with you as closely as possible.

    And to listen.

    To make sure our ambitions chime with your capacity to deliver and grow.

    In fact I’ve already spoken to hundreds of you since taking up the job to make sure we are changing policy with the realities you face in mind.

    I feel enormously optimistic about the energy sector.

    At a local level it supports millions of jobs around the country.

    Offshore wind jobs in Humber, Cornwall and East Anglia.

    Nuclear jobs in Somerset and Suffolk.

    Oil and gas jobs in Scotland.

    And jobs throughout the supply chain.

    Energy is helping revitalise communities that played an instrumental role in Britain’s industrial growth, yet declined for much of the 20th century.

    And it is increasingly important for us to think long term in light of rising global instability at a time when much of the world is transitioning to clean energy.

    I can’t help but feel that this is the most important sector when it comes to changing our world for the better. I know you do too.

    So it’s fitting we’re in this building today.

    The home of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

    Where so many great energy figures from history are celebrated.

    From famous names like Watt and Faraday.

    To less well-known figures like John Smeaton, for example commemorated with his own room.

    A man who could be described as one of the fathers of renewable energy.

    250 years ago, Smeaton was designing groundbreaking waterwheels and windmills that turned natural energy into motion, transforming production of food and textiles and paving the way for the Industrial Revolution.

    He reminds us, that the energy pioneers of the past not only had brilliant minds.

    They had good timing too.

    They had the opportunity which presents itself when creative minds meet eras of phenomenal progress.

    These transitions don’t happen very often. The Renaissance. The Industrial Revolution.

    And now we are on the brink of perhaps the most important transition of all, when centuries of change are being compressed into years.

    And what’s exciting, is Britain’s potential to shape this transition and seize this opportunity, through our own innovation and investment.

    Of course we’re conscious of what other countries are doing to stimulate green investment, particularly the US and Europe.

    I’ve made investment my top priority.

    I’ve also tasked my department to prioritise investment decisions.

    And we’re looking across government at how we can further accelerate investment in green industries.

    But how many other nations are spending £20 billion to get their carbon capture and storage industry up and running?

    No other technology offers Britain bigger or more exciting potential for our green energy future than carbon capture.

    We will only succeed in the energy transition if we double down on sectors with the greatest opportunities.

    The greatest opportunities to decarbonise.

    To help polluting industries go green.

    And to grow our economy.

    Make no mistake, carbon capture and storage is one of those sectors.

    So we’ll be publishing a long-term vision for CCUS later this year.

    But we’re also investing in our world leading offshore wind sector,  delivering enough offshore wind to power the equivalent of every home in Britain by 2030.

    I am committed to a successful AR6, a round that includes offshore wind in which sustainably priced projects will be able to compete.

    And we’ll be publishing the administrative strike price for the next round in November.

    In addition, we’ll generate enough solar energy to power over 28 million electric vehicles by 2035.

    We’re spending £700 million to boost fusion technology.

    We’re backing space-based solar projects.

    And Britain’s nuclear revival is well under way.

    With Hinkley Point C in Somerset set to provide enough secure, low carbon electricity to power around 6 million homes.

    And Sizewell C in Suffolk, a sister project featuring the most powerful electricity generators in the world, to supply another 6 million homes.

    We’ve launched Great British Nuclear to deliver our programme.

    Its first priority to accelerate the development of Small Modular Reactors.

    And as we announced the other day, we’ve chosen 6 companies to progress to the next competitive stage to design and build the UK’s first SMRs.

    Bringing all our work together is the Energy Bill – the vehicle for delivering the energy strategy.

    To turbocharge British technology.

    To liberate £100 billion of private investment, scaling-up green jobs and growth.

    And to make Britain energy secure.

    Yet I also recognise that there are profound challenges.

    From COVID-19 to Ukraine and the shocking events of the last few weeks.

    It’s been an uncertain few years.

    For the energy industry.

    For families and households.

    And yes, for governments too.

    You’ve told me about the issues you face and what we need to do to lead the energy transition.

    For example, many of you have spoken about practicalities and how we can unclog the system and how we can give you as much of a long lead time as possible.

    That’s why the most important announcement we have made recently is prioritising grid connections, and reforms to infrastructure and planning.

    I am acutely aware that although we’re investing tens of billions in new energy projects, we don’t yet have the grid infrastructure to bring that energy to households and businesses.

    At a time of rising demand, when we need increased electrification at pace it takes too long to build new grid connections.

    So we’re going to introduce comprehensive reforms.

    We’ll set out the UK’s first ever spatial plan for infrastructure to give industry more certainty.

    We’ll speed up planning for the most nationally significant projects.

    And we’ll raise the bar to enter the queue and make sure those who are ready first, will connect first.

    The Holistic Network Design, published by the Electricity System Operator, is a blueprint for the connection of over 20GW of offshore wind.

    We strongly supported Ofgem’s Accelerating Strategic Transmission Investment decision at the end of last year, allowing £20 billion to accelerate key transmission projects.

    To speed up the consenting process for new network infrastructure, the government has consulted on revised energy National Policy Statements.

    And we are bringing forward measures to boost development consent, including a fast-track process.

    As you already heard earlier, Nick Winser has advised us on how the deployment process for electricity transmission infrastructure can be further ramped up, with an ambition to halve delivery times.

    I’d like to thank Nick for all his work – and following his report, we will publish an action plan by the end of the year.

    Releasing network capacity will help reduce connection times.

    And we are creating a Future System Operator to sit at the heart of the energy system, looking across different fuels and technologies to plan the network and increase competition.

    All of this work will streamline planning and delivery and tackle the complexity and fragmentation of the current process.

    Nothing will distract us from achieving net zero or driving forward renewables.

    In fact, this country has led the world on tackling carbon emissions. And we’ll continue to do so.

    Of all the major economies, we have set the toughest targets.

    And thanks in no small part to the energy industry, we’ve exceeded all of them.

    We’ve cut our emissions in half over the past 30 years.

    We’ve boosted our share of renewables from just 7% in 2010 to almost half today.

    We’re third in the world for attracting investment in clean energy – a pretty incredible achievement given our size.

    But to realise our ambitions we must ensure that our energy plans are viable.

    That’s what the Prime Minister’s net zero speech was all about last month.

    A pragmatic approach, to make sure we deliver effectively, taking consumers and industry with us as we decarbonise.

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    The truth is we can’t impose unaffordable extra costs on households.

    Particularly at a time when millions of families are struggling with the cost of living.

    Instead we need to bring consumers with us on the net zero journey.

    The Climate Change Committee have assessed that there is no material difference in our progress to cut emissions by 2030 since their last report in June, yet these changes have the ability to make a real difference to the finances of households up and down the country.

    I want people to feel nothing but unadulterated optimism when they think about what this means for them, their countries and their children’s futures.

    We are absolutely committed to our targets.

    But we will get there in a way that is fair on family finances.

    We want a retail energy market which is resilient, competitive, and fit for the future. Most importantly, we want a retail energy market that delivers for consumers.

    On that note, I welcome Ofgem’s move to ensure customers get the good service they deserve from their energy supplier, and that vulnerable customers are prioritised and protected.

    You’ll be hearing more on that from Jonathan Brearley soon.

    I also welcome the action which has been taken to put an end to the wrongful installation of prepayment meters in vulnerable households.

    The responsibility is now with suppliers to stick to these new rules while also innovating, so consumers benefit from cheaper renewable electricity, and using their energy when demand is lower.

    Although energy bills have been steadily coming down, 55% since the peak, we’re going to work closely with Ofgem to see how we can support those who are struggling.

    We spent £40 billion last winter protecting communities and businesses, among the highest in Europe.

    And those on means tested benefits will get further support this year with a £900 Cost of Living Payment to ensure struggling families continue to be protected.

    Looking to the future, we’re going to reform markets so they work for consumers much more effectively.

    Rising costs have also hit the industry.

    Particularly the price of materials and the cost of borrowing.

    We’re doing everything we can to reduce inflation.

    From the 10.7% rate in the final 3 months of last year, the CPI was down to 6.7% in August. With it expected to fall further still.

    But the imperative remains.

    We’ll need to continue innovating and reducing costs as an industry to stay competitive.

    Finally – as well as generating new green energy tomorrow, we must make more efficient use of the energy we have today.

    Last winter was incredibly difficult for millions of people.

    We are already investing £6.6 billion in energy efficiency and clean heat this Parliament.

    We’ve launched a £1 billion drive to help more than 300,000 households in most need to cut their energy bills by hundreds of pounds through the Great British Insulation Scheme.

    And we have committed to invest a further £6 billion between 2025 and 2028.

    The share of homes in the highest bands has risen from 16% in 2011 to 47% in 2021.

    And we’ve introduced more generous grants for heat pumps.

    Grants available under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme increase from £5,000 to £7,500 on Monday next week, among the most generous in Europe.

    Which means the first British customer will be able to get one for free under the scheme.

    So to sum up let me tell you again what you already know. There has never been a more exciting time to work in Energy.

    This is exactly why the PM created a standalone department focused solely on energy security and net zero.

    Our ambitions on net zero are undiminished, we continue to have world leading targets and we will meet them with the help of the talent, expertise and innovation in this room.

    I am determined that this historic transition.

    To a net zero economy, to an energy secure nation.

    Is not only one that we can deliver.

    It’s also one that we will deliver together.

    Thank you.