Renewables campaigners reacted with dismay at plans by the UK to allow new gas-fired power generation, a move it was claimed shifts away from commitments to pursue a net zero grid by 2035.
British energy secretary Claire Coutinho will later announce plans to allow new unabated gas plants to replace retiring generation, citing energy security and the need to back up variable renewable energy, while claiming the nation can still meet its green targets.
Coutinho is due to say: “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 have been forced back to coal.”
The government said any new plants built would need to be “able to convert to low carbon alternatives in the future such as carbon capture and hydrogen to power”.
But the move was slammed by renewables advocates such as the UK’s Green Alliance think-tank, which said the move “flies in the face” of commitments to ensure a net-zero power grid by 2035 on the way to overall net zero by 2050.
Renewable UK director of policy Ana Musat told the BBC: “We know we don’t need new gas capacity in order to ensure that the lights stay on while we also look to meet net zero,” pointing to alternatives such as storage and interconnection with European neighbours.
The government hopes the new gas capacity will be funded by private investors, but Musat questioned the appetite for such investment. “As an investor you’re thinking 'how long am I going to have a revenue stream',” she said.
Green campaigners said the move was the latest shift away from net zero commitments by the incumbent Conservative government, which faces a general election later this year. It has already allowed new oil & gas exploration and shifted targets in areas such as EVs.
The gas plans were announced as part of a wider review of energy policy that will include consultation on regional wholesale energy pricing.
“A significant proportion of the UK’s energy is located away from areas of high demand: for example, a quarter of the UK’s renewable energy is generated in Scotland. Different wholesale prices could better match supply and demand and bring down costs for people across the country,” Coutinho will say.
