A guide to energy decarbonisation
The Government released its long awaited for Energy White Paper this week – a guide to the Government’s plans to “overwhelmingly decarbonise power in the 2030s”.
The paper links into the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, outlining how the UK plans to switch to green energy to support the net-zero carbon emissions target for 2050. They hope to introduce new measures to cut emissions from industry, transport and buildings by 230 million metric tonnes over the next 10 years. That’s the equivalent of 7.5 million petrol cars being removed from the roads.
Plans to increase the amount of electric heat pump installations from 30,000 per year to 600,000 by 2038 are outlined within the paper. This supports the goal of decarbonising heat. The current heat pump market is underdeveloped, which is delaying the role out of the green technology. With investment, more highly skilled workers can be trained to install the equipment, making the goal more realistic.
The paper also outlines support for vulnerable energy consumers – something that is especially important going forward as switching heating systems to electric in order to reduce carbon emissions comes with a high cost to households. The paper aims to “put affordability at the heart of the UK’s decisive shift away from fossil fuels”.
They’ve announced a £6.7 billion support system that will run for 6 years. This includes extending the Warm Home Discount until 2026 (it was due to end in 2021) and increasing the amount of funding assigned to it by £125 million per year. This will be delivered to 750,000 households, giving them £150 off their electricity bills each winter. National charity, NEA, will be working with the Government to improve the application process by ensuring the poorest working age households that are eligible are automatically provided with the rebate, as many miss out on the funding currently as they are unaware that they need to apply each year.
The paper also confirms again that the new Green Homes Grant scheme will be extended for a further year, as was outlined in the Ten Point Plan. This scheme offers households funding to support the installation of insulation and green heating solutions.
- Support the lowest paid with bills through a £6.7 billion package of measures that aims to save households up to £400.
- Supporting 220,000 jobs in the next 10 years
- Transforming the UKs energy system to double electricity use and harness renewable energy supplies
- Keeping bills affordable by making the energy retail market more competitive
- Generating emission-free electricity by 2050
- Establish a UK Emissions Trading Scheme in 2021 to replace the current EU scheme.
- Explore finance options for new nuclear power with EDF.
- Deliver 40GW of offshore wind power by 2030 – including 1GW of “floating wind”
- Invest £1 billion in Carbon Capture and Storage
- Support 5GW of hydrogen production by 2030 with a £240 million net zero Hydrogen Fund for low carbon hydrogen production
- Invest £1.3 billion to rollout electric charge points for electric vehicles in homes, streets and on motorways
- Invest £1 billion to support the electrification of cars
- All new heating systems by 2030 to be low carbon or appliances that can be converted to clean fuel supply
- Support North Sea oil and gas transition to ensure the expertise of the oil and gas sector be drawn in to clean technology to provide new green jobs.
The white paper offers some very exciting aims to reduce emissions and support vulnerable households – It’s essential that the shift to green heat and power puts affordability at the heart of each step, to make sure vulnerable households are not burdened with the brunt of the switch to green energy.
Debates remain about the cost-effectiveness of investing in nuclear power, as the planned Sizewell C site could generate 3.2 gigawatts of electricity, but at the expense of taxpayers. The investment in offshore wind has been widely accepted within the sector.
You can read our future plans to support Portsmouth’s own net zero by 2030 goal in our Energy and Water at Home strategy.
by Anttonia Lindup