Blair institute urges energy strategy rethink over affordability

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 00:44 · Archive

Sir Tony Blair's think tank called for Britain's energy strategy to prioritise cheaper power over the Government's Clean Power 2030 target.

Sir Tony Blair's think tank has called for Britain's energy strategy to undergo a 'fundamental reset', saying affordability and security should be prioritised over Government deadlines. The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) recommended replacing the flagship Clean Power 2030 plan—which aims for at least 95 per cent of electricity from clean sources by the end of the decade—with a 'Cheaper Power' mission focused on reducing costs.

The think tank said the current 2030 target has created 'the wrong hierarchy' for energy policy, making affordability and security 'secondary objectives'. It proposed rewarding businesses for locating in areas where wind power is otherwise wasted because of grid bottlenecks, to help cut expensive curtailment costs. The report, released ahead of the Budget, also suggested accelerating grid connections for valuable energy projects.

Tone Langengen, the TBI's Director of Climate and Energy Policy, argued that focusing on cheaper electricity would speed up the shift from fossil fuels while strengthening Britain's energy security and competitiveness. The Independent reports that the think tank also recommended the Government reconsider zonal pricing—an idea previously rejected by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over fears it could increase electricity prices in south east England. The TBI said the 2050 net zero target should remain.

How it is being reported

• Choose cheap energy supply over net zero at Budget, Blair tells HealeyThe Tony Blair Institute for Global Change said the government should lay out a series of reforms aimed at making energy cheaper in the UKThe Independent · 27 Oct, 00:01
• Tony Blair's think tank says Britain's energy strategy needs a 'fundamental reset' amid spiralling costsBritain's energy strategy needs a "fundamental reset", with affordability and security given priority over Government deadlines, Sir Tony Blair's think tank has said. In a new paper, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) called for the flagship Clean Power 2030 plan - an aim for at least 95 per cent of electricity to be generated from clean sources by the end of the decade - to be replaced with a "Cheaper Power" mission. Measures should include businesses being rewarded for locating in areas where wind power would otherwise be wasted because of grid bottlenecks, helping to cut expensive curtailment…GB News · 27 Oct, 00:01

In this story: Tony Blair Institute · Sir Tony Blair · John Healey · Tone Langengen · Britain

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