Ed Miliband has been confirmed as the UK’s new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
He replaces the outgoing Claire Coutinho following a landslide victory for the Labour party in yesterday’s (4 July) general election.
Miliband has held the shadow energy brief since April 2020 when Keir Starmer became Labour leader.
He previously served as Energy Secretary within former prime minister Gordon Brown’s administration between 2008-10.
The MP for Doncaster North made a bold pre-election pledge to turn the country into a “clean energy superpower” as part of an incoming government.
He told delegates at the GOW24 conference in Manchester last month that efforts to propel the offshore wind industry towards an uprated end-decade target of 60GW installed capacity would “get started on day one”.
Miliband said immediate action would also be taken in the first weeks of a Labour government to overturn an onshore wind ban in England and relax planning rules.
Hopes have also been raised that Labour may deliver a much-sought budget increase to allow more capacity to clear the in-progress Allocation Round 6 CfD auction once bidding starts in early August.
Campaign group Britain Remade’s chief executive Sam Richards said the appointment shows “a clear message of intent” from Labour leader Starmer and his newly-formed government.
“Ed has been a strong champion for the necessary planning reforms needed to build the new sources of clean energy,” he added.
“At the stroke of a pen he can reverse the de facto ban on new onshore wind farms in England – unlocking one of the cheapest forms of energy available and lowering bills for millions of households across the country.”
Richards added Miliband could “immediately give the green light” to a 1.3GW trio of solar farms in England that are awaiting permit decisions.
They comprise the 500MW Sunnica, Windel Energy and Canadian Solar’s 350MW Mallard Pass and Low Carbon’s 500MW Gate Burton.
“These large-scale solar farms are shovel ready and could power hundreds of thousands of homes with clean renewable energy, they just need to be signed-off by government,” said Richards.
“Together these actions would show a government led by Keir Starmer really is committed to hitting the ground running.”