Renewed energy: will post-election reforms supercharge the path to net zero?

Peter Kydd discusses how post-election reforms are set to accelerate the UK’s path to net zero, with a renewed focus on energy independence, public-private partnerships, and advancements in clean energy.

Since the General Election in July 2024, there have been some significant strides towards improving electricity generation and accelerating the transition to net zero in the UK. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has introduced a series of fundamental changes, with the new Secretary of State emphasising mission-based delivery, energy independence, and job creation. High-profile appointments and strategic partnerships have the potential to drive forward the UK’s clean energy ambitions.

So, what has changed?

Firstly, you only need to look at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) web pages to see the fundamental changes:

Firstly, the new Secretary of State has outlined their priorities, including:

• Mission-based delivery to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 with a focus on energy independence and reducing costs.
• The formation of Great British Energy so that the public and private sector work together on delivery.
• Upgrading the UK’s housing stock.
• Continued reform of the energy system.
• Using the net zero transition as an opportunity to create jobs, particularly in Britain’s industrial areas and to transition oil and gas-based jobs.
• Leading on international climate action, using the UK as an exemplar.

Secondly, there have been a number of new, and well received, appointments including the former Climate Change Commission chair, Chris Stark, to lead the mission on delivering clean power by 2030, and the appointment of the former Siemens UK chief, Juergen Meier, to chair Great British Energy.

Thirdly, the first initiative of Great British Energy to work with the Crown Estate and bring forward new clean power located in waters owned by the Crown Estate. Under the terms of the agreement, the Crown Estate will establish a new division, called Great British Energy: The Crown Estate.

The objectives of this partnership will be:

• to deliver up to 30G W of extra offshore wind seabed leases to the market by 2030 which could support the leveraging of up to £30‑60bn of private investment;
• stimulate new technology in areas such as floating wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and tidal energy;
• invest in ports and clean energy supply chains; and
• ensure that future development, including the next round of leases, has lower risk for developers, enabling faster buildout from leasing, whilst ensuring that competitiveness is maintained.

Outside of DESNZ, other organisations are also actively contributing to the acceleration of the net zero agenda. These include National Grid’s Future Energy Scenarios (FES) team who produced their 2024 report just after the election. This builds on their previous reports but their framework has evolved from ‘scenarios’ to ‘pathways’ to explore narrower ranges and strategic, credible choices to achieve decarbonisation. It is a must-read for anyone wishing to understand the granularity of technologies, demand and supply needed to achieve net zero.

The Royal Academy of Engineering also published a report in July 2024 entitled Rapid decarbonisation of the GB electricity system, which concentrates on six main themes:

• Building strong support for the vision.
• Strong central leadership and governance with engineering at the forefront.
• A more flexible, digitally enabled system.
• A front-foot approach to procurement and regulation.
• Grasping the nettles: planning and consenting, and connection delay.
• Maintaining a long-term view.

Complementing this, renewable energy organisations have been engaging directly with Downing Street since the election and proudly displaying their photographs standing outside of No 10 on various Linkedin posts. Collaboration and leadership in action, confirming that SWIP’s Net Zero Route Map’s conclusions are highly relevant in this new world.

Alongside the Net Zero Route Map, there are several developments and initiatives that are of interest for the South West:

• The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult published their report on Floating Offshore Wind entitled Tow to Port Offstation Management, confirming how important the role of the ports are to the successful delivery of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. This affirms the conclusions of the SWIP workshop on Floating Offshore Wind held earlier this year at Exeter University.

• Earlier in the year, Western Gateway (the pan-regional partnership comprising the West of England and South Wales) launched a new independent commission to further explore the energy potential of the Severn Estuary given the new focus on long-term security of supply and cost for low carbon energy resource. 

• Great South West (the pan-regional partnership covering the South West peninsula) launched its Energy Programme Board which includes representation from SWIP. Their initiative focuses on the natural energy resources of the region, including marine energy, wind, solar and geothermal, as well as the enablers and constraints that need to be unblocked such as the potential for local lithium mining and the challenges of grid connectivity.    

• Finally, applicable nationally but of great relevance to the South West given its unrivalled wind energy resource, has been the removal of two footnotes in the National Planning Policy Framework which will allow the development of wind energy on land on the same terms as other energy generation technologies, instantly removing the ban imposed on the most cost-effective form of renewable energy, onshore wind farms.

These initiatives and appointments signal a strong commitment to achieving net zero and enhancing the UK’s clean energy infrastructure. With continued collaboration and leadership, there appears to be a renewed future for sustainable energy in the UK.