Labour’s path to becoming a clean energy superpower

The Labour Party’s emphatic win at the 2024 General Election has not only transformed the political landscape but has also accelerated the UK’s drive toward net zero. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has put his clean energy superpower mission front and centre, aiming to cut bills, boost economic growth and create jobs.

The plan? Quadruple offshore wind, triple solar power and double onshore wind generation. In addition, new nuclear, hydrogen, carbon capture and marine energy projects will be developed.

The ultimate goal is to deliver a decarbonised power system by 2030 (Clean Power 2030). If achieved, this would mark not just an energy transition, but a revolution for the energy sector. This revolution will require restructuring the energy system in the UK and supporting innovative solutions to grid decarbonisation.

It’s ambitious, and many in industry question whether the timeline is feasible, but Labour’s first 100 days have shown real momentum.

A focus on early delivery

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband hit the ground running. In week one, he appointed Chris Stark, the former chief executive of the Climate Change Committee, to lead Mission Control. This team is tasked with coordinating cross-governmental working and delivery on the 2030 target.

Alongside this, he launched Great British Energy, to be headquartered in Aberdeen and work with The Crown Estate and the private sector to accelerate clean energy infrastructure delivery.

Miliband also greenlit four solar farms and lifted the ban on onshore wind. The Government has proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), consulted upon in September, which seem likely to provide strong support to renewables.

Recently, Miliband and Stark wrote to the new National Energy System Operator (NESO) to map pathways to Clean Power by 2030, placing this target at the heart of the Government’s policy.

With a strong start and successful sixth CfD funding round, it’s clear the Government is pushing hard to deliver its clean energy goals.

What’s next?

To keep momentum and realise their clean energy vision in the near term, government must press ahead with key policy updates.

Government is working to provide more clarity to the energy sector by updating planning regulations. The upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill and potential further changes to the energy National Policy Statements (NPS) will aim to speed up project approvals but aligning these reforms with the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is crucial.

With interim analysis circulating, and in response to Miliband and Stark’s letter, NESO will soon release its roadmap for 2030 decarbonisation, as well as updates on progress towards a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP), to support the siting of assets where they can add maximum benefit to the energy system. NESO will be developing the SSEP carefully to ensure that it complements efforts to reform the congested grid connection queue, rather than hinders them.

Meanwhile, the recently reactivated Solar Taskforce has confirmed that a Solar Roadmap is expected soon. With the Autumn Budget on 30th October, more clarity for the sector is on the horizon as we question whether the Treasury plans to invest borrowed capital in decarbonisation targets.

Accelerating the transition

Labour’s early progress is promising, but meeting 2030 targets will require bolder near-term solutions. In this fast-paced environment, it’s essential that the Government provides clearer support for hybrid projects that will deliver much needed grid efficiencies.

At Telis Energy, our hybrid energy hubs will co-locate and blend onshore wind, solar and storage generation and use a single grid connection. This innovative approach will unlock finite grid capacity, creating economies of scale that reduce both development and operational impacts to the grid, local environment and local communities. Innovative solutions – like hybrid energy hubs – can accelerate the energy transition and deliver significant benefits, but current policy doesn’t support these projects!

At the moment, the policy landscape is not creating the conditions required to support hybrid co-located projects. For example, the NPPF should expand Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) criteria to include energy-intensive assets like gigafactories and data centres, which can benefit from these hubs in the future. Plus, NESO needs more resources to expedite its reform of the grid connection system, so projects can move forward at pace.

The Government’s focus on planning and grid reform is a strong start, but to fully unlock the growth and jobs opportunities promised, policymakers and regulators must work more creatively to support innovation in the sector, and the colocation of energy assets.