The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) has branded the UK Government’s Energy Security Strategy as “wholly inadequate”.
While the REA welcomed commitments regarding solar, hydrogen and offshore wind, but added the new plan locks the country into more expensive, longer to build, non-renewable power sources, which comes with its own energy security concerns.
Other industry associations welcomed the strategy, which was published on Wednesday night.
REA chief executive Nina Skorupska said: “The Energy Security Strategy is wholly inadequate. If ever there was a time for the Government to be bold, this was it, but they have failed to rise to the challenge facing the country.
“Of course, we welcome commitments on solar, hydrogen and offshore wind, but the Government’s plans will lock the UK into more expensive, longer to build, non-renewable power sources.
“It ignores a huge swathe of other renewable technologies and the approach to onshore wind is totally inadequate.”
Partner and co-founder of Glennmont Partners, Peter Dickson, said: “The development of more onshore wind, along with investment in offshore, solar and storage, offers the most affordable and quickest way to bolster the UK’s domestic energy supply and ensure resilience against gas price volatility and inflation.
“This coupled with a long-term strategy for supporting households and businesses on energy efficiency measures is essential if we are serious about achieving our decarbonisation targets.”
The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) welcomed the core decision to bolster domestic energy supply and the planned expansion of nuclear, hydrogen and offshore wind, plus return to annual North Sea licensing rounds for oil and gas.
It also added that the “lack of significant support” for onshore wind, fracking and demand-side measures such as home insulation represents a significant missed opportunity.
There are also significant delivery challenges, with the CPS having pointed out that the offshore wind industry is facing lengthy delays and cost inflation due to ongoing Covid related supply chain issues.
“There is already a real risk that the existing 40GW target by 2030 will be missed, let alone the new 50GW target,” it stated.
Robert Colvile, director of the Centre for Policy Studies, said: “While this strategy will expand power supply, it will take several years for its full effects to be felt. In the meantime, consumers and businesses should brace themselves for painfully high energy costs to continue.”
Eduardo Monteiro at Victory Hill Capital Advisors said the strategy was “underwhelming”.
“Instead of nuclear, distributed generation through microgrids and behind the meter solutions using existing renewable technologies such as solar, wind and batteries should be prioritised. Other technologies including carbon capture and storage should also be supported.”
Eaton UK and Ireland managing director Siobahn Meikle said energy security should be about a “system-wide” approach that makes the best use of all resources.
“That means making the grid more flexible at the same time as we are diversifying our energy mix and increasing the amount of electricity generated from renewables.”
Duncan Goodwin, fund manager at Premier Miton Global Sustainable Growth Fund, said it is concerned by the “lack of a co-ordinated policy and strategy that encompasses the whole energy and power value chain, from supply to transportation to consumption”.
He said: “While the ambition to provide enough offshore wind to power every home in the UK by 2030 is welcome, how will we ensure that the power gets to those homes when needed and can best stored or utilised when it is not?”