Miliband reveals bold new plan for sustainable energy 2030                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Energy Secretary Ed Milliband unveiled a bold new plan to bring sustainable energy in its entirety to the UK by 2030; promising “no blackouts” along the way.

The ‘Clean Power 2030’ action plan aims to bring the UK away from fossil fuels entirely and towards a sustainable future, within the next 5 years, introducing sweeping reforms to overhaul the grid and accelerate renewable energy deployment by -

• Modernising the Grid

• Streamlining Planning Permissions

• Expanding Renewable Auctions

Where much focus is given to wind and solar farms going forward.

Page 10 of the new action plan states:

“Successful delivery will require rapid deployment of new clean energy capacity across the whole of the UK,.. We have high ambition. That means 43-50 GW of offshore wind, 27-29 GW of onshore wind, and 45-47 GW of solar power, significantly reducing our fossil-fuel dependency.”

But, with so much reliance on wind and solar power, what happens when the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine? Especially prevalent here in the UK where sunny days are, in fact, few and far between!

When asked if the new system leaves the UK vulnerable to blackouts, Milliband confirmed there was no risk of this, alluding to a strategic reserve of gas-fired power stations, long-duration energy storage, batteries, and nuclear.

Indeed, the action plan does make fleeting mention of flexible capacity, including including 23-27 GW of battery capacity, 4-6 GW of long-duration energy storage, and development of flexibility technologies including gas carbon capture utilisation & storage, hydrogen, and substantial opportunity for consumer-led flexibility.

Essentially, for consistent and reliable energy to flow through the grid without fear of blackouts, we must have a mix of solutions available at all times - we cannot rely on just one or 2 types of clean energy to keep the lights on.

And, whilst the new action plan is, indeed, exciting and bold, there are still questions that need to be asked and answered given, including -

1. Are we still focussing too heavily on wind and solar?

2. Is this really achievable within just 5 years?

3. Does this mean CCUS technologies will become more easily accessible?