Labour fought and won the last election on the argument that every family and business in the country was paying the price of the previous government’s failure to deliver clean, homegrown energy for Britain.
Families and businesses know from the cost of living crisis that our dependence on fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators such as Vladimir Putin left the UK vulnerable and exposed to energy price spikes, as well as the escalating costs of climate breakdown. We also know that the drive to clean energy represents the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century. That is why the prime minister has put delivering clean power by 2030 at the heart of one of his five missions for government.
Our commitment means an electricity system based on renewables, nuclear and other clean energy technologies we control at home, rather than fossil fuels sold on volatile international markets.
In the election, lots of people said that it couldn’t be delivered, and that Britain shouldn’t even try. They offered a recipe for defeatism and dependency.
Today, the National Energy System Operator (Neso) has published its independent, expert analysis of the pathways to clean power. It is conclusive proof that clean power by 2030 is not only achievable but also desirable, because it can lead to cheaper, more secure electricity for households, it breaks the stranglehold of the dictators and the petrostates, and it will deliver good jobs and economic growth across this country in the industries of the future.
A broad range of organisations, from business leaders at the CBI to the trade union Prospect, to Energy UK, Renewable UK, the International Energy Agency, to leading UK and international companies such as National Grid, Scottish Power and SSE, have also said that this mission not only can be done, but it should be done – and, crucially, that they’re ready to play their part.
What does this mean for the British people? We are going to build the energy projects we need across the country – windfarms, solar farms and, yes, new grid infrastructure. In doing so, will get our country off the rollercoaster of volatile fossil fuel markets so we can deliver cheaper electricity. We know there are trade-offs when we build new infrastructure, and we will work with communities so local people feel the benefit. But we don’t shy away from making these pro-energy security, pro-growth, pro-climate decisions.
At the same time, we will carry out our mission in a way that creates well-paid jobs here in Britain. Last month, the prime minister, chancellor and I were in Runcorn announcing the investment that will kick off our first carbon capture, usage and storage projects and create 4,000 good, industrial jobs. This is just a glimpse of what the clean energy revolution can do for our industries, communities and economy.
And that’s on top of the work to lift the ban on onshore wind in England, delivering a record number of clean energy projects through our renewables auction, granting consent to almost 2GW of solar to power hundreds of thousands of homes, and launching Great British Energy. All within four months. This is a government wasting no time to deliver on its mandate.
Some might ask: how is clean power even possible, given the slow pace under the previous government? The findings of today’s report are a vindication of Labour’s mission-driven approach, using the power of government to focus the investment and ingenuity of industry to tackle the great challenges our country and our planet face, with an urgency that many thought impossible.
The previous government shied away from difficult challenges. We take them on, because we know that a project of renewal requires an active government that is willing to work in partnership with industry, trade unions and the public to deliver the big change we need.
In the budget last week, the chancellor rightly laid out the choice before our country over the coming years: invest or decline. For too long, we have allowed other countries to control our energy supply, leaving Britain weak and vulnerable. We have allowed others to get a head start in the race for the jobs and industries of the future.
The Neso report is so important because it shows that clean power by 2030 is the right choice for Britain, unlocking cheaper electricity, a more secure country, the good industrial jobs we need and economic growth. By acting on its conclusions, the government makes our choice: we choose investment over decline.
Ed Milband is secretary of state for energy security and net zero
