On Friday 28 April, the BEIS Committee published its Eleventh Report – Decarbonisation of the power sector, highlighting that “at the current pace of change, the UK is set to fail to hit its target of decarbonising the power sector by 2035.” It added that this, in turn, will undermine the ability to reach net zero by 2050, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and harness renewables and that while a secure, decarbonised and cost-effective electricity system can be delivered by 2035, there needs to be the political will to do it. To address gaps and risks in the government’s strategy to decarbonise the power sector, it sets out several recommendations. This includes overturning the ban on onshore wind in England; ensuring that the UK’s ports have capacity to support offshore wind; prioritising work to support long-duration energy storage; deciding on the use of hydrogen across the economy; and clarifying where private finance for nuclear energy projects will come from. It also noted that demand reduction and flexibility must be treated as an equal partner to supply, with customers “placed front and centre of the transition” and that the government should bring forward its additional £6bn funding for energy efficiency measures for 2025–2028 to now.
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