The UK's mission to decarbonize its power sector by 2035 could be in jeopardy unless the government takes urgent action to support the delivery of renewables, warns a new parliamentary report. The review by the BEIS Committee on the Decarbonization of the Power Sector emphasizes that the UK requires “enhanced political leadership” to overcome barriers to deployment and become a more attractive market for renewable energy developers. It also highlights that the investment proposition for UK low-carbon electricity has deteriorated over the past year, which could endanger the viability of many renewable projects.
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The report notes that the global race for capital in low-carbon projects has intensified, and large subsidies have made the UK's competitors more attractive. Furthermore, renewable energy developers in the UK face substantial cost inflation and less generous windfall tax exemptions than those given to the oil and gas sector. The findings echo concerns raised by the industry in recent months, with trade body Energy UK calling on the government to acknowledge and respond to the challenges facing low-carbon developers.
The BEIS Committee is urging the government to respond to competition from abroad while playing a more active role in delivering upgrades to the transmission network and speeding up the consenting process for new projects. It also calls for a ban on onshore wind in England to be overturned and for a heightened focus on ensuring the UK's ports have the capacity to support the rollout of offshore wind infrastructure.
Regen's CEO, Merlin Hyman, warns that policy uncertainty and the absence of a clear delivery plan is putting the 2035 net zero power target at serious risk. Meanwhile, the REA welcomes the report's focus on accelerating the delivery of renewable energy technologies, including addressing deployment barriers such as “unacceptable” planning and grid delays. The group adds that sensible discussions need to be had on the topic of bioenergy, amid recent controversy surrounding the sustainability of wood pellets used to produce electricity.
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The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero stresses that the government is taking steps to deliver a secure, low-cost, and low-carbon energy system, to decarbonize the UK's electricity system by 2035, and to reduce energy bills across the UK. It emphasizes that the UK starts from a strong position, having delivered the world's four largest operational offshore wind farms as part of a clean energy miracle since 2010 and installed enough solar to power over four million homes.
